Wednesday, August 26, 2015

SURVIVOR: ACTION PACKED ESPIONAGE



I’ve been a fan of Pierce Brosnan since his days on REMINGTON STEELE. Yes, I’m old. I thought then that he should have been doing James Bond and he eventually did take on the role but far too late in the game. So any film he’s starring in immediately draws my attention. The same holds true for Milla Jovovich. Hers is a case where a model moving into acting has actually paid off for both her and viewers alike. She handles herself well when it comes to action and the physicality that involves. So putting the two together for me meant this could be something special.

Jovovich stars as Kate Abbot, a newly appointed State Department employee in charge of terrorists research in London. Kate begins to suspect that there is something amiss when she notices a number of visas being approved for people we should be paying more attention to. She tries to bring that to the attention of her superior but it goes unnoticed. While out with her friends at lunch she excuses herself to run after something. As she returns the restaurant they were in explodes, the work of Nash (Brosnan) an assassin sent in to prevent her from exposing what she has learned.

Wounded and on the run, Kate is now hunted by Nash, the U.S. authorities and the British intelligence agency, the last two thinking she may be somehow involved in a terrorist’ plot. A meeting with her direct supervisor in an open area ends with him trying to kill her since he’s the mole in the operation but instead results in his death at the hands of Nash.

Now on the run and framed for the murder of her boss, Kate must use all of her knowledge and skills to avoid not only detection from Nash but from her own government as well. Following the clues she was in the midst of uncovering Kate realizes that an attack on U.S. soil in New York is imminent. As the U.S. authorities try to find her so is the British intelligence agency. While offering assistance on the surface the reality is that the U.S. wants her back before the Brits can catch her.

Dedicated to her job and to saving American lives, Kate does her best to hide in the most camera friendly city in the world. Between traffic cams and more the odds are not in her favor. Add to that the fact that Nash is hot on her trail and being provided information from the same sources those odds are less likely for success as she proceeds forward. But with lives on the line, Kate is determined to prevent the attack she knows is imminent.

So does the movie hold up? Well it does and it doesn’t. There are numerous plot holes to be found here and many have noted those in various reviews of the film. Whether the movie is good or not depends on how far you’re willing to suspend belief with those holes. For me they weren’t so overpowering that I couldn’t sit back and enjoy the film for what it was, a nice little thriller.

The performances of both Brosnan and Jovovich help to make that happen. While neither would be considered Oscar worthy in these roles they both involved themselves deeply enough into the characters as to make them believable. Brosnan has the cold detachment down to a T here. Jovovich comes off as a well-trained operative but still fearful enough of what could happen to her to show concern at every corner. She does a great job here and it’s nice to see her in something other than a RESIDENT EVIL film. She has the ability to act, now if she could only get better parts.

In the end the movie isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread but it isn’t the worst movie ever made either. It’s a solid film that delivers a well-made end product that can be enjoyed for a night’s viewing. With all the other garbage films out there to choose from this one shines above them all. It might not be one to add to your collection but it will entertain for an evening.

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