Haywire

Ahem, another covert operative gets burned story. Actually not a great one at that as the reason is something stupid. So, in spite of a lame covert in the cold operative being hunted down the question is if it's worth watching? Soderbergh's direction adds nothing, but there is life in the character of Mallory Kane thanks to Gina Carano's efforts. I'm not wholly saying the big name cast is wasted, but it would sink save for Carano. This flick will raise her future screen presence and it is simply a paycheck for the rest. I'll wager if you watch it all the way through it will solely rest on the athletics and acting ability of Carano.

High octane ass whipping. MMA fighter Gina Carano is Mallory Kane, a stunning secret operative that takes a last minute mission in Dublin, that abruptly falls apart when she is betrayed. Why, she doesn't know; but she realizes that her life is definitely in danger and the only way she will survive is to outwit and outlast her enemies. The story line is pretty shaky at best with just enough dialog to break up the power packed fight scenes. This martial arts operative kicks ass all the way through the cast. She gives as good as she gets. A white-knuckle action flick with no CGI or unbelievable stunts. You can't say that Carano's acting skills are stellar, but there is some top notch names rounding out the cast: Michael Angarano, Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Bandaras, Michael Fassbender, Bill Paxton and Ewan McGregor.

Wow, a mix up of Bourne and The Assassin, or so i thought, reading the names sounded like it was going to be great, however... I'm afraid not. I cant believe the likes of Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas would have anything to do with this! It is extremely cringe worthy in places and the action scenes are truly poor. the soundtrack is like something from the seventies and and the musical attempts to add to suspense moments are atrocious. even the story line is lacking anything credible apparently i have to write 10 lines but I'm struggling to say how poor it is! Completely amateur its just complete rubbish....

POSITIVES: 1) Almost all of the fight scenes have no music and this makes it feel gritty and brutal 2) There's good dialogue in the car with Malory and the guy whose car she steals 3) Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender are good in everything NEGATIVES: 1) The Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas characters are pointless 2) The plot of betrayal and revenge is just boringly generic 3) The jazzy score doesn't gel with the tone of the film

I wanted to care more about the main character, but I couldn't. Let's just say that she could have used some more acting lessons before production began. Well put together movie by Soderbergh though.

Haywire is a high-octane intelligence thriller with Gina Carano as the smart, sexy, efficient lead calling all the shots, even after it all comes crashing down. Carano (Mallory Kane) heads a star-studded cast including Michael Fassbender (Paul), Michael Douglas (Alex Coblenz), Ewan McGregor (Kenneth), Bill Paxton (Eric), and Channing Tatum (Aaron). Despite being the lone female lead amidst a top notch crew of Hollywood's finest male talent, Carano flawlessly pulls it off. The hand-to-hand fighting and action scenes are her strong suit, not the weak dialogue. Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/haywire.html

The way the story was told it was a bit confusing but apart from that it is an engrossing film with good locations (particularly Dublin) and a good roster of big actors in small roles. Dominating the film is Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, the betrayed operative who fights back. She is great. Her action scenes are thrilling. The fight in the hotel room with Paul (Michael Fassbender) is the highlight of the film as it starts so suddenly and gets brutal. Took my breath away. A good watch.