Blitz

As fans of Jason Statham me and my girl saw this yesterday. I'm usually a fan of his over-the-top action films like 'The Transporter's', 'Crank 1 & 2' and 'The Mechanic'. I was surprised to see that this was something a little different from him. Well, a little different. Jason Statham is basically playing Jason Statham which is always good to watch in my opinion but here the film is played as a more grittier, realistic affair with lashings of violence and the occasional funny moment. Paddy Considine does well as the gay copper who teams up with Statham to try and napture a nutty killer who's targeting cops. Giving the films standout performance, Aidan Gillen plays the killer and is totally convincing in the role. It's not mind-blowing stuff but it's enjoyable and Statham fans will lap it up. ***/*****

Some nice camera work, stylish blurring, but pretty clichéd police drama. Jason Statham does what Jason Statham normally does, he's utterly typecast as kind of British Dirty Harry, but it's not new anymore like it was in Snatch/The Transporter.

His sidekick is not nearly as interesting as the little guy in Snatch or the girl in Transporter.

Good work from Aiden Gillen (the guy who played Tommy Carcetti in The Wire) as the bad guy. Zawe Ashton is also interesting as a WPC with a drug problem.

Mainly the plot seemed a bit disjointed and contrived. Overall it felt like a TV police drama. Nothing special.

Having read the reviews, and agreeing with most of them, I'm a little surprised the film scores so highly. Surely it rates mid-range obscurity at best? The comments about unnecessary/unresolved sub-plots, completely unrealistic event turns, and lack of character depth are all absolutely spot on, as is the 'Ronseal' analogy. But the weak, predictable and incredibly rapid ending left us quite empty. It was more suited to an American TV series where an advert break happens just before 'Columbo gets his man'. There were also some terrible continuity gaffs, especially relating to time of day and weather (look especially before, during and at the end of the hotel to trains chase). Come on British cinema, you can do better than this!

This movie is an action packed thriller, one that should be enjoyed with a couple of beers in a man cave (with friends, of course). Some scenes are quite violent and gory, including depictions of dismembered body parts and brain splatterings. There are some hilarious moments that are perhaps more funny because the movie is otherwise quite serious. The main actor (Statham) plays his role well and has an edge about him that comes off as real. He had some nice banter with his homosexual boss, but thankfully there wasn't any suggestion of any sexual tension between the two (not because I'm homophobic, but because I think it would distract from the action too much.) The rest of the cast was average. The deranged killer was neither scary nor psychotic and I didn't get the feeling that he was really on a killing spree. I guess the bar of the deranged killer was set by the Joker from Batman. Overall, a good movie to watch once.

If you get a chance to read the novel written by Ken Bruen upon which this movie " Blitz " is based on, you will miss quite a lot in the transition. Even though the movie is graphic, the book is more so. In addition, the main character Detective Sergeant Tom Brant (Jason Statham) is definitely more violate and his partner DI Craig Stokes (Luke Evans) is revealed to be more incisive and meticulous. Indeed, the suspect called 'The Blitz' (Aidan Gillen) reads more intelligent, clever and evasive. Having read the book and seen the movie, I will say that both are dark and similar to the point of eeriness and memorable. The movie is a black insightful look into the mind of a serial killer and with Statham chasing him through the streets of London, far more exciting. The story is fraught with loose ends and indeed some are not resolved. Still, it is a good attempt of keeping the audience interested. Since Jason Statham is the leading man the finished product can be said to be dramatic enough to be recommended. ****