Safe

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Safe

68% Liked It
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Safe

Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke, Chris Sarandon, James Hong

A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change...until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example ... read more read more...of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed.

But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action...and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. -- (C) Lionsgate

Id: 11158659

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Safe Recent Reviews
  • TomBowler
    May 12, 2012
    TomBowler
    The newest film from the hit-and-miss guru Statham is somewhere in the middle. Not terrible but not quite great either. Full review later.
  • hobster1
    May 9, 2012
    hobster1
    Safe is a movie where nothing is safe, including logic and reason, but it sure is fun. This is a lively film that seeks to entertain and that's about it. Jason Statham is an effective tough guy and he's quick with the clever wisecrack. He's the obvious heir apparent to Arnold as ... read moreking of the witty one liner. "Don't lose sleep. He had it coming," he tells a trainload of subway passengers after shooting a guy dead at point blank range. I must admit I also enjoyed seeing veteran actor James Hong as the head of the Chinese mafia. You may not recognize the name, but you definitely have seen him in something. He's done a bazillion movies but probably best known for playing Lo Pan, the ancient sorcerer in Big Trouble in Little China. The fight scenes in Safe are kind of de rigueur for this sort of thing. They never really rise above the graphics of a good video game, but Jason Statham has plenty of charisma to keep things gripping. There's enough creative twists and turns to elevate Jason Statham's latest opus into a worthwhile diversion.
  • DrZeek
    April 30, 2012
    DrZeek
    Alex Rosen: You've got huge balls.
    Luke Wright: Yeah, it's amazing I can even walk.

    Modern action stars are rare to come by these days. There are plenty of past action stars who occasionally star in action movies still and there are younger actors that have done a few actio... read moren movies, but a true action star is not as big a commodity these days. One of the few still consistently putting out work is Jason Statham. It is unfortunate that Statham's films continue to only pick up moderate success, as he has a cool, steely charisma and knows how to deliver a whoopin', but at least the man is fairly consistent. Safe delivers a fairly conventional action film experience, which is made better in spurts do to the early work done to really establish the characters, before settling into crazy action mode. It helps that Statham adds some shades to his performance here, that distinguishes his character a bit more, this time around, but mainly, Safe delivers what fans would want in their standard Statham action film.

    read the whole review at www.thecodeiszeek.com
  • fb733768972
    April 28, 2012
    fb733768972
    With a thinly written script and acting that is not too special, you can only hope for the awesome action to carry the movie, and in the end, it does, but it is definitely not enough to make it a great film. Jason Statham is likeable, as he always is, but he makes everyone else l... read moreook like they are acting on a television drama series. "Safe" carries two stories that eventually meet, in order for Luke (Jason Statham) to protect the girl, who is the key to a safe, that holds over 30 million dollars. It is a basic premise with a few clever ideas thrown in. The action is top notch and the quick cuts make this film a blast to watch. "Safe" is definitely not anything groundbreaking, but I had a lot of fun!
  • fb100001592288964
    April 28, 2012
    fb100001592288964
    Surprisingly, Safe was nowhere as awful I expected to be. It has a very B movie-esque flair to it, and the action is very hard-hitting and violent. Jason Statham does his "Transporter" job very well, but the supporting cast has some very bad actors portraying certain roles. Overa... read morell, its nothing to rush out and see, but its a very solid rental to watch with your action junkie friends (if you have any). To quote Bret Michaels "I want action tonight, satisfaction all right!"
  • SC007
    May 24, 2012
    SC007
    This film pleasantly took me by surprise. From the trailer, I wasn't expecting much. However, after watching the film, I really liked it. Statham is great in this film. He plays a character that we really haven't seen him play before, a down on his luck loser.

    The film kind of ... read morereminded me of Transporter 2, which had Statham fighting to save a kid. Catherine Chan is wonderful as Mei. She and Statham have a great on screen chemistry. Statham should do more films with kid co-stars. The action scenes were really good, including the subway/train fight scene. I did recognize a few place in the film, cause they filmed the movie in my neighborhood.

    I thought the studio didn't promote this film correctly. I definitely recommend this film cause of Statham and Chan's performances.
  • Fascade518
    May 17, 2012
    Fascade518
    The level of excitement and action is so far off the charts, that your adrenaline level will expire. Watching Luke Wright (Jason Statham) ignite, blow up and break bones and faces to gain revenge for what the Russian Mafia did to his family as well as keep the Chinese mob from ac... read morequiring the "services" of an innocent little girl against her will...this movie keeps you intrigued and entertained at the same time while the NYC Police Department is in tow to resolve a war between the two rivaling gangs with lots of surprises. See "Safe" it truly delivers!!
  • jeffboam
    May 15, 2012
    jeffboam
    Despite being heavy-handed AND lead-footed, Jason Statham's straight-on balls-to-the-wall latest is a Safe bet for action fans. Granted, it's right in his wheelhouse of cheese: He has a clean-shaven head throughout, delivers his lines with a fake American growl, squints more than... read more Renee Zellweger in a rom-com, and kicks bad guys in the head...a lot. The flick smartly keeps the action coming at a furious clip and Statham's pint-sized co-star's lines to a minimum. When it does slow down to catch its breath, however, a kid's precociousness starts to rise and the audience's interest starts to sink faster than a safe on the Titanic.
    In this R-rated actioner, a second-rate cage fighter and former NYPD cop (Statham) rescues an abducted Chinese girl (Catherine Chan) being used as a human computer for a numbers games, only to find himself fighting the Triads, Russian Mafia, and corrupt city officials to keep her safe.

    Writer/director Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans) knows Statham's strengths and uses them to everybody's advantage, particularly action-loving moviegoers. He keeps the action tight and in confined settings like subway cars and hallways. He also holds back the star until the right moment, building the intensity to a fever pitch. When the Stath reaches his boiling point, however, all hell breaks loose in a story that's often clichéd but more-often-than-not clever. Yes, it becomes cloying in a way only movies about tough guys with a hidden gooey center protecting children inevitably become, but - so long as the serpentine plot keeps the bullets and brawn a-flying - Safe-ty comes first.

    Bottom line: Decent combination.
  • xas5
    May 12, 2012
    xas5
    In the genre that has become Jason Statham movies, Safe lands fairly average on the spectrum. We get back story, we get the pieces on the game board, and we watch Statham knock them down with ease. What Safe does better than the rest is setting Statham up to have wronged all thre... read moree major groups in the film (the Russians, the Chinese, and the police) so that all of them are "gunning" for him. Motivations are often weak and the odds impossible, but I do have to say, Statham is an action star that's easy to watch and who has effectively cashed in on his niche.
  • fb1025970122
    April 28, 2012
    fb1025970122
    There must have been an excess supply of fake guns, bullets, and blood laying around in a props department somewhere and someone was ordered to take care of it. The best way they knew how to resolve the problem was clearly to make a modest budget action flick and get Jason Statha... read morem to play the lead. This would guarantee that they'd make their money back and then some. The courtesy for human life in the chrome-domed actioners latest saga is set to zero as the body count climbs higher every few minutes. That's not to say this kind of redundancy doesn't still pack a punch. It certainly does. The kind of films that Statham participates in are more about the integrated sequences of action rather than the story that supports them, but credit must be given where it's due and in that regard "Safe" does try its hardest to build a twisted and engaging plot line that ends up being a rather routine corrupt cop drama. Still, it offers enough turns to keep you entertained. While "Safe" will likely rank more among the likes of "The Mechanic" and "Death Race" than with "The Bank Job" or "The Transporter" series when fans look back on his career it is nonetheless a fun and thrilling ride. While writer and director Boaz Yakin is not known for this kind of work (his previous directing credits include Remember the Titans and Uptown Girls) he does a fine job of navigating the shaky cam through the action and making sure his lead and only viable star in the film is made to look like he's supposed to. While you can't really call what Statham gives a performance, he shows his usual tender side that has made him the charming lead he has become. Don't be fooled though, he'll snap and leave you for dead if you go against him or his mission.

    The one thing about flat out action flicks like "Safe" that seems to be present lately is that hint of self-awareness. While this is in no way makes reference to the fact it knows what kind of film it is, it plays up so many of the cliches of the genre we can't help but know they are laughing with us. Whether it be when Statham delivers lines like, "Don't worry, he had it comin" after disposing of some Russian gangsters on a subway or replying "Surprised I can even walk," after being told how big his balls must be for walking in on the Mayor of New York and threatening him. The one-liners hit and the crowd chuckles. The bullets fly and take out everyone we know needs to die and the crowd gasps. In fact, there is nothing risky about "Safe" at all. It is a paint by the numbers action flick and it knows it. If you have a problem with that then you have no business watching it. That's the attitude it carries and why shouldn't it? I don't at all have a problem with it, in fact I am a pretty avid fan of Statham and will always think of him as more of a straight up and down action star then The Rock (though he's gaining momentum) and Vin Diesel. I would probably watch Statham in just about anything (except for In the Name of the King, no sir Uwe Boll you won't trick me) and find something interesting I can latch onto. What the niche for me here was the switch up between gunplay and martial arts. While there are more than enough shoot outs here to last you a lifetime, "Safe" really gets down and dirty when it allows its star to go toe to toe with a baddie and show off his skills that haven't been utilized to their max since "Crank: High Voltage". With a good portion of the story line being devoted to a Triad gang it is interesting they didn't use more of the hand to hand fighting style. If there is a critique of the action to be made here, I believe it would be that.

    While it would be clear from the cast list and trailer that it takes a certain taste of the genre to enjoy this film, it should be noted that there is an attempt at actual storytelling here as well. Statham plays Luke Wright who, when we meet him, is a second rate cage fighter that has just blown a rigged fight that puts him in a bad spot with the Russian mafia. They naturally come for his family first and in the singular most touching scene in the film (they're pretty sparse believe it or not) Statham lets us in on what kind of man Luke is. Luke begins wandering the streets of New York riddled with guilt. On the other side of things Mei (Catehrine Chan), a young girl that is a genius at math and can memorize long sequences of numbers with her photographic memory is brought to the U.S. from China. She becomes caught in the middle of a war between the Triads who brought her over and the Russians who want the code that the Triad gang had her memorize. She is kidnapped by the Russians but is able to escape and make it to a train station where an impulsive Luke sees the men who killed his family and seeks revenge. He inadvertently puts himself into the middle of the war between the Triads and the Russians that also comes to include a group of corrupt NYC cops. Surprise, surprise there's more to this than you might expect. Maybe a hidden past for Luke that didn't always involve cage fighting? Yea, probably so. It plays out in a manner so slick and calculated that you can't help but want to drive off after exiting the theater feeling as if you'd just taken care of business yourself. It leaves that kind of impression, and in my books, it could be a lot worse.

    While looking at Mr. Statham's IMDB page will probably make you wonder how many more times he can do this before they run out of premises for him to skate by on the answer is clearly never. Every few years he has the option of likely doing another "Transporter" or "Crank" film and also has the hugely successful "Expendables" brand attached to his name that will likely allow it soar even higher after part two is released this August. Statham has a loyal fan base and keeps a steady flow of films coming. Whether they turn out to be theatrical releases or straight to DVD titles it doesn't matter. The man has become a brand and he will only continue to use the successful formula that has put him where he's at now. What makes the guy stand out from every other actor trying to establish themselves in the genre is the fact he can show range if he needs to. "Safe" allows only a slight peek at this during the scenes he and his young co-star Chan share together. There is a humanity to the brutality we are accustomed to seeing. That he is able to show this in the quieter scenes while maintaining his credibility as a human being after stabbing a man in the neck with a fork is slightly discomforting, but in the same way reassuring. He is the guy you don't want to mess with but the friend that you would love to have on your team. That is the magic of Statham and that is why he keeps getting asked to make movies and why people continue to go see them.
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