Today’s quick review: Safe. After losing his wife and home to the Russian mob, Luke Wright (Jason Statham), an ex-cop and former MMA fighter, has nothing left to live for. On the verge of suicide, he meets Mei (Catherine Chan), a young girl forced to memorize numbers for Han Jiao (James Hong), a Chinese crime boss. The secrets in Mei’s head are worth a fortune, and Luke must fight off the scores of criminals who want them to keep her safe.
Safe is an action thriller starring Jason Statham. A chance encounter puts Luke Wright at the center of a city-wide manhunt for Mei, a girl who holds the key to a multi-million dollar deal involving the Chinese mob. The film pits Luke and Mei against two rival criminal operations, crooked cops from Luke’s past, and a corrupt city official in a sprawling chase through New York. Safe’s solid execution earns it a spot near the middle of the genre.
Safe offers a nice balance of plot and action. The backstories for Mei and Luke are intricate enough to feel worthwhile. The rival factions hunting for Mei keep the plot moving at a nice clip, make its twists harder to predict, and give Luke some interesting options by playing the factions against each other. The film is also good at posing questions that keep the audience engaged, even if they lack the depth of a full-blown mystery.
Safe has plenty of action and uses it to keep the tension up. The movie isn’t big on flashy stunts, but what’s there is solidly executed and used well in service of the plot. Luke isn’t an overpowering fighter. He’s skilled enough to take down the smaller groups of thugs sent after Mei, but he has to pick his battles against larger groups of better-armed foes. He must rely as much on his wits as his fighting skill to keep Mei and himself alive.
Still, Safe doesn’t have the originality, depth, or raw spectacle of the best movies in the action genre. The movie puts more work into Luke and Mei than the typical leads for an action thriller, but their relationship doesn’t lead to much emotional payoff. The supporting cast works well for the sake of the plot but doesn’t add much in the way of character. The movie is also more original with the details of its story than the broad strokes.
Watch Safe when you’re in the mood for a well-crafted action thriller that sticks to the basics but does them right. Safe doesn’t offer anything too novel, but its minor variations and solid craftsmanship make it a good pick for fans of the genre. For an action thriller with a similar premise and even heavier drama, try 16 Blocks. For a Jason Statham movie with more over-the-top action, try The Transporter and its sequels.
6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a tidy plot with the action to back it up.