Title – Homefront (2013)

Director – Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury)

Cast – Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Izabela Vidovic, Clancy Brown, Rachelle Lefevre, Frank Grillo, Omar Benson Miller

Plot – Escaping to the seemingly quite surrounds of a country town after being undercover in a large scale biker gang, Phil Broker (Statham) and his daughter Maddy (Vidovic) come afoul local drug dealing Gator (Franco) who threatens there serene and quite existence.

“Whatever you’re thinking, rethink it”

Review by Eddie on 30/09/2014

If there was ever a movie acting as an elegy against school yard bullying, surprisingly Homefront might just take the number one mantel, for events in this film that occur after a particularly bloody school yard stoush are pretty much as bad as you could imagine in a film that really should be a lot less enjoyable than it is.

Written by modern day Shakespeare himself Sylvester Stallone (therefore you should be having expectations that match this) and starring the Stath in what can only be described as another variation on his film persona, Homefront is utterly and ridiculously over the top yet works thanks to some strangely committed supporting turns and an air of not taking itself too seriously. Jason Statham who must surely be getting bored with his typecasting no matter what the sums of his undoubtedly good pay cheques here has some good moments as grizzled ex-undercover cop turned lone parent Phil Broker and is ably backed up by newcomer Izabela Vidovic as his daughter Maddy, but it’s in the redneck/drug addict/criminals that the film finds some much needed spark.

Supporting once more what can only be described as Hollywood’s most questionable facial hair, James Franco has a real blast as the lead villain of the piece Gator (not to be confused with his Spring Breakers bad man Alien). Chewing up his dialogue and enjoying a love hate relationship with his girl Sheryl played by the nearly unrecognizable Winona Ryder, Franco is on fine fun form and is almost outmatched by his movie sister in the form of scarily skinny and against type Kate Bosworth as drug addled backwoods mum Cassie. Bosworth is on such fine form here that you almost wish her character had a much larger part in proceedings and if that were the case you feel Homefront could of leap frogged it’s pretty stock standard dealings.

Not your typical Jason Statham action rout from start to finish and playing along at a nice pace, Homefront is never in the slightest bit believable or overly memorable but it is a solid action/thriller that plays host to some very fun and committed supporting turns and therefore remains a lot more entertaining than your average Friday night action movie treat.

2 and a half playground stoushes out of 5