Safe sizzles from the very first scene with chills, spills and thrills and of course, Jason Statham. Suspend disbelief and hop on the roller coaster, Safe is a good one. Statham is at his absolute best, beating the hell out of Russians mobsters, Chinese gangsters and crooked cops, while quipping his way throughout. Here’s where Safe deviates: the film uses all the typical action clichés but feels real.

Director Boaz Yakim introduces Mei (Catherine Chan), an 11 year old prodigy with legendary memorization skills and attitude. She’s been given the codes to the Chinese mob’s entire system. Han Jaio (James Hong) doesn’t believe in technology. This has made the Chinese vulnerable to the Russian mob and the New York police. Both are hunting her before the Chinese can find her. Mei also holds the key to Luke Wright’s (Statham) redemption.

Wright, former cop and now failed cage fighter, has fallen on truly hard times. His past haunts him. His life is in shambles. And not until he meets Mei does he find away to reconcile it. In the New York subway Wright sees Mei hiding from Russian mobsters and saves her. He further takes it upon himself to keep her from both mobs and the police. When crooked cops get involved the body count begins and Wright goes into high gear. The rest of the Safe is classic: car chases, explosions, violence and flying bullets (a few of my favorite things).

In Safe Wright seems more like a modern day “man with no name” than a cop turned avenger. Pitting the mobs against each other and the cops against both is a fun revisit to 1965’s For a Few Dollars More. Statham is great in the Eastwood style role and, as always, he kicks some serious ass. He also manages to deliver the expected one liners without making it seem too cliché.

Safe is a classic action hero flick with some great twists and much less of the, “I’ve seen this before,” feeling. The villains are cliché, the plot predictable, the acting melodramatic and over the top, but none of that matters. Safe is a great flick, with incredible action and phenomenal fight scenes, a good, if implausible, story and a tight, fast pace. I loved the film and want to see more. Look for Luke Wright to be back again.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5!

We all come down to the wire and find were one gift short. Here are a some suggestions to pick up on your last minute Christmas shopping spree.

Serenity – If you want scifi action mixed with great comedy and strong characters this is for you! It also has one of the best villains of all time!

Moon – This movies is hard for me to explain. It has a 2001 feel to it with a Castaway feel to it but with so much heart. Sam Rockwell is just amazing and brings so much emotion to what could be a stale character. And what Kevin Spacey is able to accomplish with just his voice is equally amazing!

The Prestige – In my opinion one of the best revenge / rivalry movies of all time! Both Hugh Jackman and Christian are excellent not to mention another fine performance  from Michael Caine.

Being There – Being There is an incredible example of what a consummate comedic actor can do with a fiercely challenging role. An oddball comedy starring Peter Sellers, Being There is the story of an extremely simple man named Chance. In a character that may be his most unusual and best Sellers manages to stay in character and by “chance” and childlike trust charms some of the most powerful people in the nation. Every film fan needs to see Being There at least once.