Today’s quick review: Momentum. After a Cape Town bank robbery goes bad, Alexis Faraday (Olga Kurylenko) prepares to leave the country until the heat dies down. But when Mr. Washington (James Purefoy), an enforcer working for a United States senator (Morgan Freeman), kills her partner to recover an incriminating USB drive, Alexis retaliates by stealing the drive and using it as a bargaining chip to guarantee her safety.
Momentum is an action movie starring Olga Kurylenko. Wanted by the police and hunted by trained killers, Alexis must use every trick at her disposal to stay one step ahead of her enemies. Momentum places its action first and foremost, pitting Alexis’ wits and combat abilities against the superior numbers and resources of Mr. Washington’s team. The end result is a basic but enjoyable action flick with one or two treats for fans of the genre.
The most distinctive aspect of Momentum is James Purefoy’s performance as Mr. Washington, a talkative and somewhat sadistic operative who treats Alexis with a grudging respect. Purefoy brings just the right sort of charisma to the part, and the movie gives him ample opportunity to grandstand. For her part, Olga Kurylenko makes for a passable heroine, striking a nice balance between hyper-capable and overwhelmed.
Still, Momentum has some predictable limitations. The movie shows very little of Morgan Freeman, using his character to motivate the plot with next to no personal involvement. The plot only makes sense at a superficial level; anything more than a cursory glance reveals holes in its logic. Finally, Momentum misses the chance to develop its lead, only dipping briefly into her background and instead using her as an agent of retribution.
With solid fight choreography and a plot that never lets up for long, Momentum will satisfy fans of the budget side of the action genre. More critical viewers will have a hard time getting past some of its storytelling choices, however, including one or two glaring plot holes and an over-reliance on the villain to drive the dialogue. Give it a shot if you’re just looking for some action. Skip it if you’re looking for more than that.
For an action movie in a similar vein, try Haywire or Close. For one that revolves around a bank robbery, try Takers or Marauders. For a much more polished action thriller involving a corrupt public official, try Shooter or Enemy of the State.
[5.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3181776/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent action with few frills.