Texas’ reign of freezing terror is in full swing, and aside from the necessary hours of work, sleep, and scraping ice off my windshield, I like to partake in America’s favorite rainy-day sport: watching bad action movies on Netflix! I don’t know; there’s just something so comforting about lying in bed, indulging one’s laziness with junk food for the mind. So yesterday, while in the middle of watching “Sharknado”, I asked a question I never thought possible to ask while watching a movie called “Sharknado”: “Why am I bored?” There were explosions, natural disasters, and shark dismemberments aplenty, but I was falling asleep. I came to the conclusion that with “Sharknado”, and really, any bad action film, the movie cares not for its characters, and so neither do we. That being said, when these characters are put through thrilling dangers, we don’t know these people and couldn’t care less whether they make it or not. The tension is unraveled. The movie dissatisfies. Luckily, this week’s movie “Homefront” cares enough to share its characters with the audience, and while the movie’s not perfect, I enjoy these characters and want to follow them through the story’s turns.
Jason Statham plays Phil Broker, a DEA agent who, on an undercover mission, bears witness to the brutal murder of a drug lord’s son by the SWAT team. Haunted by the event, Phil retires and moves to rural Louisiana with his daughter for a fresh start. Little does he know the past has a way of catching up with people, and its consequences may be lurking closer than anyone could expect.
I like watching these characters interact and give good performances. Statham intimidates, empathizes, jokes around. He plays a range of roles with Phil’s character: the loving father, the vengeful man, the remorseful offender, handling each aspect well. Kate Bosworth is noteworthy as the drug-addicted mother of one of the daughter’s classmates. Her portrayal doesn’t come off as a cautionary tale or activist prop: her physical deterioration and inability to handle her emotions around her family and Broker subtly nod to the damage her character suffers as a result of her lifestyle. She’s convincing in the role and I give my props. However, my biggest kudos goes all the way to James Franco. He plays a meth cook operating in the town, but the way he carries himself, you’d think he was a drug kingpin. From paying off the police to having hitmen do his dirty work, he owns the town: omnipresent and omnipotent. This guy is gut-wrenching. The grime that comes out of his voice is disgusting, and his sneaky, creepy manner keeps my eyes glued. Because he’s sly doesn’t make him unafraid to get physical; he approaches the prospect of breaking bones with glee. Franco plays this villain wonderfully; he’s the guy I love to hate.
“Homefront’s” strength lies in its first half, developing relationships, atmosphere, and tension, building the stakes in just the right increments. Broker’s relationship with his daughter is heartfelt: she carries a lot of his no-nonsense approach to self-defense but he understands when it’s best to teach her something opposite what he’s usually used to. They play and joke with each other; their love carries much of the emotional weight of the film. Louisiana carries many vibes: New Orleans’ liveliness, the swamp’s isolation, its neighborhoods’ comfort and tight-knit nature, and the forests’ majesty (aerial shots of the forests and swamps in particular are presented well).The cinematography works with each location, serving the scene’s intended atmosphere just right. The action is visceral, with emphasis placed on the weight of damage. When someone gets hit, you hear and feel it. When they drop, you believe they hit the ground and if they know what’s good for them, they won’t get up. The choreography is stellar, showing off each step of Broker’s process without sacrificing momentum. Broker uses his surroundings to his advantage, integrating them seamlessly. These fight scenes, as a result, are very creative and a lot of fun to watch.
Unfortunately, for such a smart and effective buildup, the latter half of the movie is lackluster. “Homefront” rushes, tying up its ends as fast as possible, so characters make dumb decisions and initial tension-builders don’t get the payoff they deserve. The action and choreography are still excellent, but a shaking camera and unfocused editing makes it harder to see. The ending is my main issue; my first opinion of the climax was that it was weak, but after tying in the movie’s themes and methods of approaching it, I was able to forgive the climax. However, the ending scene takes the climax’s idea and tosses it out the window, so in this mixed turn of tone, I’m confused and upset. I left the theater with a bad feeling about it all, and while the second half did not ruin the whole experience, its clumsiness is a huge disappointment.
The real shame of “Homefront” is that it started off so well and ended so weak. Despite my disappointment, I don’t hate the movie; I don’t even dislike it. I like the characters, the action is creative, the story builds at a great pace. I had fun watching Phil Broker beat up bad guys and I cared for him and his daughter. I wanted to see them get through the danger ok, and that’s more than I can say for “Sharknado.” I’d say take a couple friends to see it and enjoy it for the action, or just wait for a freezing cold rainy Netflix kind of day. Thank you all again for reading; I’m the Man without a Plan, signing off.
"Homefront" trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjSOj8b804U
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