Homefront Review

Homefront

2.5 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

Homefront is all kinds of ridiculous. There is no story to speak of. And in the real world, do you actually think that James Franco would even have the slightest chance of taking down Jason Statham? Hell no. While Homefront is a dumb, plotless mess, it's also a lot of fun.

Phil (Jason Statham) is a former DEA agent who has left behind his life of chaotic -- and occasionally tragic -- missions. Now, he is a widower who must take care of his young daughter, Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). They live in a small town filled with a slew of interesting characters. Maddy's encounter with a school bully sets into motion Phil's involvement with drug kingpin Gator (James Franco),  his crazy girlfriend (Winona Ryder), and the town drug addict (a fantastic and nearly unrecognizable Kate Bosworth), among other crime-fueled rednecks who are out for blood. Thus, Phil is forced back into a life of violence. He will do anything to protect his town, and most importantly, his daughter.

Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for this old-fashioned action flick, and as you can tell, he doesn't really bring much new to the table. You know exactly what is going to happen in this movie because there aren't any surprises. Of course the story comes second to the action. However, kudos to Stallone for making our two leads pretty interesting characters. Phil is a likable, sympathetic action hero. I like the fresh angle that he is committing acts of violence because he is forced to, not because he wants to. Statham is truly impressive here, showing off a softer paternal side that is rarely seen in his other films. Homefront proves that as an actor, Statham can do more than just be the cool, ass-kicking fighter made of stone.

Villain Gator is beyond weird and actually a little pathetic. Casting James Franco was an ultra-strange decision (or maybe it's actually normal now to assume that Franco will always do the unexpected). However, he is great here. Kinda funny, a tad creepy, and always full-throttle. It's a bonkers but rad performance that captivates.

Director Gary Fleder does an excellent job with the action sequences that are simultaneously brutal and exciting. It helps that Statham is such a convincing fighter and that he can make you giddy with his impressive moves. Fleder also does a nice job with some of the subtler, more tender moments between Statham and newcomver Vidovic, who is in fine form here. Some of the father-daughter moments are surprisingly poignant and are a nice change of pace from all the trashy, wild violence going on.

So is Homefront a good movie? Not necessarily. But is it an enjoyable one? Absolutely.