Haywire is the Most Boring Action Movie in Recent Memory
Gina Carano will be a box-office draw in Hollywood. She is a beautiful woman and carries herself well to display a 'persona' to fit well with any character she will play in an action movie. But her debut in the movie 'Haywire' shows that she's not ready to be in the lead role yet. It didn't matter that the cast around her was so decorated (Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas) because the dialogue was so 'watered down' that it killed any feelings the action sequences generated. The scenes were long and ultimately were very boring.
To cite examples, in what seemed like a four minute stretch, Gina's character, Mallory Kane walks out of a hotel to find she's being followed. The camera simply focuses on her walking and watching a figure across the street--no suspenseful music, no other activity on the street, nothing but Kane and the figure walking. In another scene, Kane rendezvous with an agent from MI-6 in Dublin, Ireland to meet with a contact. They pose as a husband and wife couple and go to the contact's mansion for a party. As they are giving the appearance of a couple, the agent begins to talk to Kane making conversation. Kane doesn't say a word but simply gives facial gestures. This was the perfect time for character development but fell short.
Finally, Steven Sodebergh, the director of the movie used too many cut-away shots and recycled the soundtrack from all the Ocean's movies. 'Haywire' puts together what many action fans would enjoy as a 'made for cable' movie or 'straight to DVD' flick.
To cite examples, in what seemed like a four minute stretch, Gina's character, Mallory Kane walks out of a hotel to find she's being followed. The camera simply focuses on her walking and watching a figure across the street--no suspenseful music, no other activity on the street, nothing but Kane and the figure walking. In another scene, Kane rendezvous with an agent from MI-6 in Dublin, Ireland to meet with a contact. They pose as a husband and wife couple and go to the contact's mansion for a party. As they are giving the appearance of a couple, the agent begins to talk to Kane making conversation. Kane doesn't say a word but simply gives facial gestures. This was the perfect time for character development but fell short.
Finally, Steven Sodebergh, the director of the movie used too many cut-away shots and recycled the soundtrack from all the Ocean's movies. 'Haywire' puts together what many action fans would enjoy as a 'made for cable' movie or 'straight to DVD' flick.
Published by Eric L. Labrador
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3 Comments
Post a CommentYeah, thanks for taking effort to address my points w/ some detail.
There's no problem w/ a difference of opinion on whether it was compelling. I find that I'd be as cold & calculating as the top merc, Kane was. It befits a realism that groups Liam & Bourne's worlds w/ Ethan Hunt's. Regardless, it accomplished its albeit unconventional, eccentric goals. The 'walking chase' scene showed the situation mechanics of actually being tailed, same w/ the rooftop escape.The lack of music had an emphatic effect just as it did for the fight scenes. Any added street activity would've obviously affected the characters in the scene! Just how shiny do you expect dialogue between contracted black ops mercs to be? Like I said, realism. Your boredom is founded in subjectivity & your criticisms were a poor attempt at qualifying opinion. "did..didn't...attempted..didn't accomplish" - How about a reviewer's lack of comment on action sequences in an article on an action movie titled such as this one?
Even action movies must tell a story. It must be three-dimensional and grip the viewer as if they were in the storyline themselves (i.e., Bourne's struggle to recover memories, Neeson's fear and anger of losing his daughter), the action sequences can't do it all. What you say the movie did, didn't. It was attempted, but didn't accomplish.
Looks like the clear intent of realism was as lost to this reviewer as the disturbing lack of comment on the action scenes themselves are to readers. In "non-boring" action movies in recent memory & beyond, an abundance of cut-aways is present due to actor inability/stunt-doubling, but not in Haywire. This action fan appreciates the cinematography & art-house, throwback style surrounding action customary to straight-to-dvd/made-for-cable fare from the likes of: Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, etc. vs their "acting" stunt crew. In this vehicle, unnecessary are the constant action beats of: explosions, faux-realistic storyline banter, and wire-worked/heavily stunt-doubled actor displays of incredulity. Apparently, a reminder of the Kane''s reticence (shown in a previous scene) to wear a dress/play wife is needed. Being continuously piqued can lead one to not remember everything, but not boredom...or is it simply one reviewer's longing for commercial Hollywood action?