Homefront

Sylvester Stallone writes the screenplay for the Jason Statham and James Franco led Homefront, and we love it! Yes, you read the right.

For all intents and purposes, Homefront should be a train wreck of an abomination in film-making. But if you squash your preconceived biases that will doom Homefront to failure, you open yourself to watch a supremely entertaining, funny and highly thrilling film.

Phil Broker recently widowed and struggling to raise his 9-year old daughter Maddy the only way a father knows. Broker also happens to be a well trained DEA agent who chooses to leave the dangerous action and retire to a small town in Louisiana to care for his daughter. With small town life comes small town trouble, and Broker is quickly thrust into the drama despite his fervent effort to remain impartial and uninvolved. Unfortunately, his past history and the criminal occurrences of his new residence makes matters more complicated and he must soon use his skills to protect his daughter the only way he knows how.

Homefront has an energy and vibrancy about it, a spark, that revitalizes the potentially stagnant action film type. It does not deviate from the formula too much to make it feel forced and contrived, but it has a well formed and original enough plot thanks to the source material from Chuck Logan's original and synonymously titled novel. Sylvester Stallone, the film's screenwriter and executive producer, who never makes a token egotistical cameo, translates Logan's narrative into an un-caricaturized action-crime-drama, a pride worthy feat. The difference between Homefront and its inferior counterparts is Homefront focuses on the story and the characters and the creative direction of Gary Fleder never veers into nonsensical excess.

Jason Statham is quintessential Statham as Phil Broker, bringing his stoic charisma and martial arts ability to be used perfectly in this film as the steadfast protagonist. No protagonist is complete without an equally matched antagonist, of which Homefront has several players, all of which fully formed and complete characters. Kate Bosworth, James Franco and Winona Ryder are all notable in their acting and contributing to the film's overall success.

At first glance, Homefront should be an uninspired derivative action flick solely for box office numbers. But, it is not. It is a surprise of a film and a shame that some potential viewers may choose to overlook this film due to their misinformed prejudices for the actors, crew and subject matter. Anyone willing to take my word for it and give this film a chance will not be disappointed.

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Single ex-agent with a child, settling down in a new closed place where a self-claimed boss has set his own rules - there are (and definitely will be) lots of similar stories, about past, present and future. As it is difficult to add a new angle or approach, it is usually acting and solution of issues that counts, are they logical, or just ridiculous and unrealistic. Homefront has evidently more pluses than minuses - pleasant performances by "the good guys" - Jason Statham as a caring but tough father Phil Broker and Izabela Vidovic as sensitive but tough Maddy, realistic atmosphere, catchy fights, meaningful use of violence... True, "the bad guys" are too plain, the ending has predictable structure and elements, and there are scenes not necessary for the general course of events, but absence of dudikoffs-seagals and torpid chases and fights is already a valuable feature. It is nice to see that Statham as an action hero has followed in the footsteps of e.g. Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis.

All in all, a good and proper-time (1,5 hours) thriller. Not a conceptual one, but no flop either.

There is nothing wrong with this film. I thought JS's acting was pretty good. Compares favourably to other action stars' attempts over the years. I really enjoyed seeing Kate Bosworth, Winona Ryder and James Franco playing against type. Franco can be a bit hit and miss, he shines in the right roles, but others he struggles with (Annapolis for example). Definitely a hit here, his bad guy had more nuance than was strictly written into the part. Deserves a bit more than the 6.5 it's got as I write this.

Homefront truly is boosted higher by good performances by the cast. Winona Ryder really did a great job as the skanky bad girl Sheryl, she and James Franco had a really good chemistry and kinda bad guy dynamic going throughout the film. As for Jason Statham, he was perfect for his starring role, I mean could NOT have picked a better action star to lead this movie! He is sexy, rugged, tough as friggin nails, and overall a real badass, but a badass with a good big heart. Him and his daughter really had great father/daughter chemistry here, you could tell that they really had a great relationship and loved and cared about one another, which was needed for a movie like this one. Kate Bosworth is pretty darn good as well, she is almost unrecognizable here, Redneck trailer trash, anyways, she plays a well written character well here. Now as for the movie itself as a whole, it's kinda average action movie fare, nothing to distinguish it from the rest in this genre. The action and shooting sequences are pretty run of the mill, nothing all too special to see unfortunately. The plot has some nice attachments to it, like the father daughter relationship/connection that I mentioned before. Homefront tries it's hardest to be this edgy awesome new action film, but it did not accomplish that goal. It's just too average to be called awesome or even all that edgy. I mean yah there is time of crude language because of the degenerate characters, and yes, it has some rough violence to some scenes, but that still doesn't make it all that edgy. But hey, it's not a total loss, good performances all around! 6/10 for Homefront.

Now you'd expect the typical reviews for this kind of movie from most critics, "it's just another mindless action film" or "Statham can't act". Ignore them, If your an action/statham fan you won't be disappointed.

If your like me and miss the traditional action films from the past that had Charles Bronson or Chuck Norris, your gonna appreciate and like this movie. Statham is the last action hero of our time. He consistently delivers solid action movies where you know what your gonna get. In Homefront thats some bloody shootouts, great fight scenes and some good one liners. It has a good cast, People may not take James Franco seriously as a villain but it's interesting to see him in a movie like this and he does a good job with it. Kate Bosworth was very believable as a crazed meth head. It has a straight forward, thrilling story that builds the tension nicely to an action packed ending.

You don't get these type of movies anymore. These days pg-13 with dumb cgi is what most "action" movies are about. The days of the action hero as they once were are dying out, but Statham is their to provide some vintage style action flicks like Homefront which is one of his better films. Overall, whatever your thinking - watch this movie.

7/10