"Haywire" Review

    This movie literally has audiences and critics split. So, why is that? It's a question I attempt to answer in this review. This is Haywire!

    Steven Soderbergh has quickly become the most reviewed director on this website, as this is the 5th movie of his I've reviewed. He's made good movies (Ocean's Eleven), OK movies (Contagion) and bad movies (Ocean's Twelve), so as intrigued as I was with Haywire, I knew going into it that it could land anywhere on the map. Looking to other critics didn't help much either. Many film critics really liked the movie, granting it an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many film audience, however, really DIDN'T like this movie, giving it a D Cinemascore. The consensus was split right down the middle.
    Haywire follows Mallory (Newcomer Gina Carano), a member of a covet operations team, along side Aaron (Channing Tatum). However, when her boss Kenneth (Ewan McGregor) teams her up with fellow agent Paul (Cinema Won Favorite Michael Fassbender), she is betrayed and has to clear her name. The all-star cast also includes Bill Paxton as Mallory's father, Michael Douglas as a government agent and Antonio Banderas as a spanish contact.



I think we have found our new Wonder Woman.

    Now, upon reading many of the reviews by film audience on IMDB after I myself watch the film, it seemed many people's reason for the negative reviews was they felt as though the acting by MMA-fighter-turned-action-star Carano was pretty bad. A complant I personally do not understand. I love Carano in this movie. Not only did I think she held her own amongst all the big names in the cast, she mantained a good level of charm even in the absolutely brutal fight scenes. The fight scenes in which the movie really takes off.
    Filmed in a minimalist fashion, with little to no music in the entire movie, the very realistic fight scenes, complete with bone cruching punches and breath-taking kicks,  feel fresh and like nothing else in a long time. With is good, because, even with the stellar cast, the film's plot is that spectacular. It's mostly your basic double-cross story, with a few, unimpressive twist thrown in for good measure. It lay a good enough groundwork for the film to build off of, but really the story takes a back seat to the butt-kicking Carano.

Never overcook Carano's food. Ever.

  As mixed as I was going into Haywire, director Steven Soderbergh thankfully delivered something good. The minimalism of the action scenes, as well as their brutality inject a freshness into an otherwise well-made but unoriginal plot. The cast is great and newcomer Gina Carano proves she's one to watch. It may not be Soderbergh's best, but it is really good. Haywire get 5 stars out of 6.