Today’s quick review: 7 Seconds. Jack Tuliver (Wesley Snipes), an American thief working in Romania, hits the jackpot when his armored car robbery turns up a lost Van Gogh. But his elation proves short-lived when Alexsie (Pete Lee-Wilson), a Russian gangster, kills Jack’s team and kidnaps his girlfriend Suza (Georgina Rylance). Meanwhile, Kelly Anders (Tamzin Outhwaite), an unlucky NATO officer, tries to track down Jack to clear her name.
7 Seconds is a budget action thriller about a thief trying to extract himself from a tight spot. His plan in shambles, his team dead, and the police hot on his heels’, Jack must use the Van Gogh as a bargaining chip to convince Alexsie to release Suza. 7 Seconds features energetic action scenes and a plot that’s full of twists and turns. However, a host of minor flaws keeps it from taking full advantage of its premise.
To its credit, 7 Seconds delivers on action. From the moment Jack kicks off the robbery, the movie never slows down for long. His chases through the streets of Bucharest, his fights with Alexsie’s men, and his verbal and physical sparring with Kelly are enough to keep the adrenaline pumping. None of the stunts are groundbreaking, and there are places where they fall flat, but the quantity and energy are high for a budget title.
However, 7 Seconds overplays its hand. Every time it comes up with a clever plot hook or an interesting dynamic, it runs it into the ground. What appears to be a simple betrayal unravels into an overly complicated gambit with too many parties to keep track of. The action scenes are flashy but tend to overstay their welcome. And while the flirting between Jack and Kelly is cute at first, their relationship never grows past that stage.
7 Seconds is a fine pick for fans of Wesley Snipes or budget action movies in general, but critical viewers will find its quality lacking. 7 Seconds has three major points in its favor—a viable setup, action that actually moves, and a dash of mystery—but it never figures out what to do with them. As such, it finds itself handily outclassed by action movies that have a clearer vision.
For a more balanced heist movie about a betrayal among thieves, try The Italian Job. For another action thriller about a robbery gone bad, try Momentum. For another Wesley Snipes movie about a criminal on the run in Europe, try The Contractor. For a tighter action thriller, try Wanted or John Wick.
[4.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417395/). I give it a 6.0 for high energy action hurt by miscalibrated storytelling.