BratE9000

I mostly agree with other reviewers. It is not that great. Well, yeah, its pretty bad. I disagree that the directing is horrible, but I do think it has one fatal flaw: The frame is always too close. The acting is sub par. Some actors are OK, but it is hard to see past the extreme close-up on everyone. Not sure if we are trying to show the audience how good the format is showing every pore and stubble, but it is not working for me.

You really have to dig deep to see that there is actually a decent horror concept and screenplay here. I even think the script might be OK. It is hard to tell. Between acting and directing I kept getting so distracted that I just could not suspend disbelief.

To the main detective guy actor and the nerdy German guy with the glasses, I kept thinking... these guys are almost there, but the camera is just too close.

I don't know how to fix this. Its a mess, but is not completely devoid of redeeming qualities. To you actors(resses) in this... don't give up!... well, at least some of you. Others, yes, please give up, and go back to school! In my earlier years I would have tacked another star on for the gratuitous nudity, but as I am not tacking, I do want to give a thumbs up to the short-haired brunette. Super body, and I thought the close-ups on the face when she was clothed and had lines just didn't capture her whole essence. Girl, you need to get with a better agent. Now that we know you have the naughty bits, hold out for a better speaking role with a better organization. You can do it! I am writing this while I watch. I am ending this at 1:11 out of 1:21. I have no idea what is going on any more. I don't care either.

I'll start by saying that my 6 rating is not for anything lackluster in this movie. I just don't dole out high ratings for anything that isn't stellar, and action movies such as this rarely have all the pieces in place that would leave a person (me) emotionally blown away. An 8 would have me thinking about it for days and wanting to talk about it with everyone I know. A 9 would put me on my knees and deprive of me of sleep as it invaded my dreams. But this movie had me engaged and entertained from beginning to end. The opening is directed finely and trapped me right in. The rest isn't quite as artistic, but who cares, its action action action.

This movie is precisely what you would expect and is a cut above your average action movie, on par with Jason Stratham films and comparable to his best.

It is non-stop action and the hero is pretty good. As some others have commented, the acting is questionable, but I say it is good enough and my disbelief was thoroughly suspended throughout the movie (except maybe once for a second). Truth be told, there isn't time to think about it because the action is non stop. The Jujitsu, or whatever they use in the hand-to-hand fight scenes is pretty darn cool. The fight choreographers and stunt men put on a wicked show! Several times, I was thinking, "wow, that was a cool sequence." Mind you I watch MMA, not WWF or whatever they are calling All-Star Wrestling these days (and not to discredit myself, but I have been impressed by sequences on WWF where I have to wonder how many hours they practiced together to pull those moves off.) (Mickey Rourke - that was a 7 in my book, but not because of the "fighting" - never mind) Sorry for the multi-level digression. Yes, the fights are great. Dare I say Vikings and Game of Thrones might like these guys on their team.

On the gun nerd front, I was elated that not everyone walked around holding their gun with their finger on the trigger (one of the sacred three gun safety rules). You see, there is plenty of time to put your finger on the trigger when the target is in sight. Next time watch where the soldiers have their fingers on CNN coverage (not that I watch that channel). Triple thumbs up on that. I should change my rating to 7 just because of that. On the other hand, our hero expends ammo unwisely. He is just blasting away. More of a pro would not pop off a round without a reasonable chance of connecting.

I didn't hate the score like some others did. It wasn't Mozart or Eric Clapton (I still can't believe he said Prince was better than he), but I thought appropriate and not in any way distracting.

If you like Jason Stratham movies, you will like this like I did.

This movie is no worse than Hunger Games or Maze Runner. It is slightly better on the sci-fi front.

It is no more predictable than the aforementioned and any other movie that is not deliberately a plot twister.

Why so many critics trash it is beyond me. Who are they?

I miss Roger Ebert.

Its a solid 6.5 - 7.0.

Star Trek > Prometheus > 5th Wave > Maze Runner > Hunger Games.

The plot is solid, the acting is good, cinematography is a decent A- and the special effects are appropriate and pretty good.