Survivor

I was really looking forward to this film, Director James McTeigue had made me an instant fan with "V for Vendetta".

Pierce Brosnan did an admirable job with the material that he was given, evoking the same ice cold villain persona that he had perfected in such films as "The Fourth Protocol" and "Don't Talk to Strangers".

Milla Jovovich is a decent actress but much of her role involves reacting to situations with close ups of shock/surprise. It was not a good fit.

Supporting actors including Robert Forster and Angela Basset round out the impressive cast but they are largely wasted.

I see 2 main issues with this film:

1) The storyline is very clichéd, especially the predictable 3rd act and much of the dialogue is very stilted. 2) The CGI in many parts is sub par and takes you out of your suspension of disbelief.

Having said all this, I still found it to be a competent thriller worth watching with these caveats.

I have to say that I feel that the reviews of this film have been a bit harsh. I've seen many movies that I've enjoyed a whole lot more and I've also seen many others that I've enjoyed a whole lot less. Perhaps our anticipation plays a big part in our assessment of a movie? Survivor has a simple plot and if taken as a simple action movie then it's an acceptable, if easily forgettable, piece of cinematic entertainment.

If you go to see this movie on the basis of its trailer or the 'starry' cast and expect a solid well-planned action movie you will be very disappointed: the scriptwriting and direction are not sub-par, they are downright abysmal and the plot can only aspire to be abysmal but I've enjoyed a lot of 'B' movies over the decades that suffered from the same issues.

Bottom Line? The movie should have been sold as a medium burger with a bit of dressing and not a six or eight course meal. Accept is as such and I don't think you'll come away feeling cheated.

Similar to another recent action film "Everly", Survivor gets by thanks to an utterly convincing, magnetic and devoted performance from lead star Milla Jovovich, I'm a big fan of hers and it's great to see her take on an action role. That being said, there isn't an awful lot of action or thrills. The first explosion in the restaurant is actually well shot, intense and very dramatic. Jovovich' character Kate runs around London fleeing a hit-man played by a charismatic Pierce Brosnan. There are a few well staged yet short-lived shootouts, but nothing to get your heart racing.

The real issue with Survivor is the hammy and sometimes unusual dialogue, as well as a rather bland story that focuses on betrayal and the ripples of 9/11. I was in it for performances and the impressive all-star cast who do what they can. 5 stars go towards Milla Jovovich, the other star goes towards the film being able to hold my attention despite it being a rather generic action vehicle, so I award a 6/10 rating.

It's a good thriller movie. I didn't understand the negative responses, nor the logics about the scenes many are writing. This is a movie, well, I prefer everyone to watch and judge by themselves. My verdict: I liked this film, it's one time to watch, good movie. Milla Jovovich action is always good to watch, and Pierce Brosnan can never be disappointing with his roles. This is the work of a nice script and direction. Although the film could be better in many ways if we put intense logics in every scene and action. But who cares, for a normal average viewer (i.e. not the critics or someone who looks for the flaws in any movie), this movie will be a good time pass.

Not Fair for 5.6 Ratings, Had its Edge of Seat Movements even though it had some Flaws, But Would Definitely Recommend it to Everyone who Love's Spy & Homeland kind of Action Thrillers. Please Don't have a Second Thought of watching this one, it's Worth Your Time & Data.