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Safe (2012)
Lionsgate
Blu-ray Disc Released: 9/4/2012
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Review by Mike Long, Posted on 9/8/2012
It's very easy for actors to become typecast. They make a splash playing a certain type of character and suddenly find themselves in several roles over and over again. It can reach the point where audiences only see the actor in those roles. This has certainly happened to Jason Statham. Since debuting in 1998's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Statham has appeared in dozens of movies playing the strong, silent type. It's gotten to the point where all of his movies look alike and can be difficult to tell apart. That was certainly the case with Safe.
Safe opens by introducing us to two seemingly divergent storylines. Luke Wright (Jason Statham) is an MMA fighter who has just won a fight which he was supposed to throw. Because of this, the Russian mob kill Wright's wife and tell him that they will kill anyone he befriends in the future. (Yikes!) Thus, Wright becomes a homeless man who lives like a ghost. Meanwhile, Mei (Catherine Chan), a young Chinese girl, has been brought to the U.S. to work for the Chinese mafia. Why? Her brain is like a human computer and she can memorize strings of numbers. The mafia uses her to track business so that there are no computer trails. When Mei is asked to commit a large number to memory, she becomes the target of rival gangs. Fleeing for her life from a gun battle, Mei runs into Luke in the subway. Sensing that the girl is in danger, Luke helps her escape. As Luke formulates a plan to aid Mei, we learn that he is much more than a failed fighter and that those who are pursuing Mei have messed with the wrong man.
Safe comes from Writer/Director Boaz Yakin, whose career has included movies as diverse as writing the Dolph Lundgren version of The Punisher and the Jerry Bruckheimer flop
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and directing the football tearjerker Remember the Titans and Uptown Girls (?!). With Safe, Yakin has attempted to create an action film which is a throwback to the violent movies of the 80s and offers more depth than the typical action movie.The movie features several over-the-top over scenes, including a shoot-out in the street which is comprised mainly of one long shot and a restaurant battle which contains a lot of gunplay. These scenes aren't more violent than others which we've seen, but they show a certain amount of verve. The script is multi-layered, as it's revealed that many different villains are involved. What begins as a simple kidnapping grows into a conspiracy which contains many different factions. Similarly, as the film progresses, we learn more and more about Luke, and his backstory becomes very deep. We also learn that the film's title has many meanings.
However, Yakin's work on the story is all for naught, as Safe finds itself being a movie which both too little and way too much at the same time. It's admirable that Yakin wanted to create an action film with depth, but the movie is simply overwritten. The onion-like script keeps peeling the layers away, but they don't amount to much. "Luke is really a ____?" "And he's actually who?" Eventually, we cease caring about these twists and want the movie to deliver something truly original.
Safe has a good supporting cast and a slick look, but it really never separates itself from the pack. Shootout, threatening phone call, shootout, threatening meeting, fist fight, quiet moment, shootout -- the movie ultimately follows the same pattern as many, many other action films. Statham's down and out character is supposed to be a change from the cocky (not Cockney) guys he usually plays, but it still looks like the same old character. In the end, the title Safe can be applied to this movie's overall approach, as it's action-packed, but also very generic. It's the kind of film that you watch and immediately forget.
Safe offers a welcome appearance by David Lo Pan on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Lionsgate. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 35 Mbps. This is a great looking transfer, as the image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source material. The colors look very good and the image is never overly dark or bright. The picture shows a nice amount of detail and is never soft. The depth here is notable, as the actors are always nicely separated from the backgrounds. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 5.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. If you like audio tracks which show off how lossless can deliver detail, then you will love this one. The surround sound in the action scenes is powerful and we are able to pick out distinct sounds. The same goes for the stereo effects, which are quite lively and show nice separation. The subwoofer effects are nearly constant thanks to the gunfire and car chases. Overall, a sold technical presentation.
The Safe Blu-ray Disc contains a few extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Writer/Director Boaz Yakin. "Cracking Safe" (12 minutes) is a making-of featurette which is anchored by an interview with Yakin. We also get comments from Producer Lawrence Bender and Statham. The piece looks at the stunts and the locations, offering a wealth of on-set footage showing how some key scenes were shot. Yakin discusses the diversity of the villains and the actors who play them in "Criminal Battleground" (8 minutes). "The Art of the Gunfight" (10 minutes) gives us a detailed look at the preparation and staging of the restaurant battle scene, including rehearsal footage with the stunt team.
Review Copyright 2012 by Mike Long