One of Gina's best. Well acted, ans good cast. Only a few holes that didn't make sense but overall pretty decent!
98 Reviews
Good Movie!
willandcharlenebrown12 March 2021
A Funny Thing Happened on the way to this review
A_Different_Drummer31 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Was chatting with another IMDb member about the top MMA films and while comparing lists, he offered me this pick. I had never heard of it so I tracked it down.
(BTW, as I have made clear in my other reviews, I have seen hundreds of MMA films going back to the 1970s when I used to watch Shaw Bros Asian imports in Chinatown with no subtitles. My two all time faves are FORBIDDEN KINGDOM and Tom Hardy's WARRIOR).
This is sort a sub-genre in the class, evidencing an attempt to launch Gina Carano (of Haywire fame) as a star on her own. It is a B movie but a well directed and photographed one. (The script, not so great).
Carano does hold the attention, she does have star power. What is really interesting is that she is presented in many ways as "the perfect women" in a film that is clearly meant for a male audience. She is pretty, she loves her man, she is good company, and if any dude messes with you or kidnaps you, she can mop the floor with him.
There is a scene where the cops try to get her off the island where her husband was abducted by putting her on a boat. She not only escapes from handcuffs but dives off the back of the boat and swims back to the island. Very Johnny Weissmuller. Very 1930s Tarzan.
Recommended. Sort of.
And if you really want to see the perfect woman, check out Rehab Addict where the diminutive Nicole Curtis is not only perky and fun but can fix anything in the house that goes wrong.
(BTW, as I have made clear in my other reviews, I have seen hundreds of MMA films going back to the 1970s when I used to watch Shaw Bros Asian imports in Chinatown with no subtitles. My two all time faves are FORBIDDEN KINGDOM and Tom Hardy's WARRIOR).
This is sort a sub-genre in the class, evidencing an attempt to launch Gina Carano (of Haywire fame) as a star on her own. It is a B movie but a well directed and photographed one. (The script, not so great).
Carano does hold the attention, she does have star power. What is really interesting is that she is presented in many ways as "the perfect women" in a film that is clearly meant for a male audience. She is pretty, she loves her man, she is good company, and if any dude messes with you or kidnaps you, she can mop the floor with him.
There is a scene where the cops try to get her off the island where her husband was abducted by putting her on a boat. She not only escapes from handcuffs but dives off the back of the boat and swims back to the island. Very Johnny Weissmuller. Very 1930s Tarzan.
Recommended. Sort of.
And if you really want to see the perfect woman, check out Rehab Addict where the diminutive Nicole Curtis is not only perky and fun but can fix anything in the house that goes wrong.
Full of Action Film
claudio_carvalho22 February 2019
When Ava (Gina Carano) meets Derek Grant (Cam Gigandet), they fall in love and marry with each other under the protest of his wealthy father Robert Grant (Treat Williams) that believes Ava is a gold digger. Ava had a tough childhood with her abusive father Casey (Stephen Lang) that trained her in martial arts and other fights. Ava and Derek travel to Caribe in honeymoon and soon they meet the local Manny (Ismael Cruz Cordova) that invites them to go to a fashion night club. The powerful gangster Big Biz (Danny Trejo) hits on Ava and Derek and she fight with his minions. On the next morning, Manny takes them to a tyrolean crossing but out of the blue, Derek has a problem with his gear and falls off in a valley, breaking his leg. Ava finds him and an ambulance takes Derek to a local clinic. Ava follows the ambulance in Manny´s motorcycle but crashes and loses the sight the ambulance. When she goes to the clinic, she does not find Derek. She goes to the police station and Chief Ramón Garza (Luis Guzmán) promises to help her. But soon Ava discovers that there is a conspiracy and decides to look for her beloved husband alone.
"In the Blood" Is a full of action film where the greatest attraction is Gina Carano. She proves to be an excellent action hero. The flawed story has many plot holes but is highly entertaining. The motives for the abduction and the accident of Derek Grant is messy and does not make sense. The beginning is promising but the conclusion is the weak part of the plot. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Sangue na Veia" ("Blood in the Vein")
"In the Blood" Is a full of action film where the greatest attraction is Gina Carano. She proves to be an excellent action hero. The flawed story has many plot holes but is highly entertaining. The motives for the abduction and the accident of Derek Grant is messy and does not make sense. The beginning is promising but the conclusion is the weak part of the plot. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Sangue na Veia" ("Blood in the Vein")
It's far from perfect but you get caught up in it.
The_Film_Cricket28 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
In the Blood has nearly the same plot as the Liam Neeson thriller Taken but it is much easier to swallow. Here again is another movie about someone who finds that their loved one has been kidnapped and must twist and turn into a seamy underworld to bring them back. The difference between the two is that the earlier picture was a high-gloss Hollywood production while this one is shot more like a documentary. It is by no means perfect, but you at least feel like you've entered into a very dark and dangerous world. You can believe what you're seeing.
Directed by former teen actor John Stockwell, In the Blood stars real life mixed-martial arts champ Gina Carano as Ava, who is on her honeymoon in the Caribbean with her new husband Derek. Stockwell's skill in the early scenes is to capture the lush atmosphere of this island. It looks like ad for a cruise line so we can easily understand how the two lovers get caught up in it.
Then something happens. At a nightclub, a small incident leads to a fight. Ava mops the floor with three guys who are about to beat up Derek. The next day, the couple go zip-lining. There's an accident and Derek is injured. An ambulance comes. She is told that she cannot ride with him, so she is told the name of the hospital that he is being taken to. When she gets there, she is told that he never checked in. Something is clearly wrong.
Dealing with a hard-weathered police officer (played by the ever- reliable Luis Guzmán) she is given the run-around. The cops seem to be following the pattern but are clearly dragging their feet. So, she decides to do some digging herself. Then follows a long, and quite dangerous, spiral into the dark underworld of the Latin American criminal underground in which Ava muscles and strong-arms one guy after another to get answers to Derek's whereabouts, which is especially tough since the wall of resistance is held up by the likes of Luis Guzmán, Danny Trejo and Stephen Lang.
More of the plot cannot be revealed except to say that what she uncovers is actually believable. Unlike Taken we can accept that Ava would be capable of twisting the arms of these grizzled tough guys. She is played by Gina Carano, who has a tight body and a muscular structure that allows us to believe that she could survive in this environment. She's not your wimpy little heroine, but has a personality and a build that reminds us of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.
If there's a weakness in the film, it is John Stockwell's insistence on wall to wall music. He wants to invoke a kind of documentary feel, but his film is often slick where it should feel like raw footage. This is probably the best film he's made so far. In the Blood, like most of his previous work indicates that Stockwell has a fascination with stories about American tourist pulled into the dark underbelly of Latin America. He previously made Into the Blue, a remake of The Deep, about a group of tourist who find themselves in trouble over the cargo of down airplane. And he made the silly horror adventure Turistas, about a group of tourists in Brazil who find themselves in trouble with members of an illegal organ transplant operation. The plots are similar, but what is clear is that Stockwell is a competent director but not yet a great one. Yet, in sense that with In the Blood, his work is improving. It's far from perfect but you get caught up in it.
Directed by former teen actor John Stockwell, In the Blood stars real life mixed-martial arts champ Gina Carano as Ava, who is on her honeymoon in the Caribbean with her new husband Derek. Stockwell's skill in the early scenes is to capture the lush atmosphere of this island. It looks like ad for a cruise line so we can easily understand how the two lovers get caught up in it.
Then something happens. At a nightclub, a small incident leads to a fight. Ava mops the floor with three guys who are about to beat up Derek. The next day, the couple go zip-lining. There's an accident and Derek is injured. An ambulance comes. She is told that she cannot ride with him, so she is told the name of the hospital that he is being taken to. When she gets there, she is told that he never checked in. Something is clearly wrong.
Dealing with a hard-weathered police officer (played by the ever- reliable Luis Guzmán) she is given the run-around. The cops seem to be following the pattern but are clearly dragging their feet. So, she decides to do some digging herself. Then follows a long, and quite dangerous, spiral into the dark underworld of the Latin American criminal underground in which Ava muscles and strong-arms one guy after another to get answers to Derek's whereabouts, which is especially tough since the wall of resistance is held up by the likes of Luis Guzmán, Danny Trejo and Stephen Lang.
More of the plot cannot be revealed except to say that what she uncovers is actually believable. Unlike Taken we can accept that Ava would be capable of twisting the arms of these grizzled tough guys. She is played by Gina Carano, who has a tight body and a muscular structure that allows us to believe that she could survive in this environment. She's not your wimpy little heroine, but has a personality and a build that reminds us of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.
If there's a weakness in the film, it is John Stockwell's insistence on wall to wall music. He wants to invoke a kind of documentary feel, but his film is often slick where it should feel like raw footage. This is probably the best film he's made so far. In the Blood, like most of his previous work indicates that Stockwell has a fascination with stories about American tourist pulled into the dark underbelly of Latin America. He previously made Into the Blue, a remake of The Deep, about a group of tourist who find themselves in trouble over the cargo of down airplane. And he made the silly horror adventure Turistas, about a group of tourists in Brazil who find themselves in trouble with members of an illegal organ transplant operation. The plots are similar, but what is clear is that Stockwell is a competent director but not yet a great one. Yet, in sense that with In the Blood, his work is improving. It's far from perfect but you get caught up in it.
It's In the Blood, in real life too
varunmirasdar5 March 2021
Gina is one rare girl who manages to look cute and savage at the same time. And given the recent debacle she has managed to stay strong and true to her nature. And she really is one strong woman not like the airy heads who think they are strong just because some movie portrays them to be. Wishing her luck and looking forward to more of her movies.
Weak to start, but very strong to finish.
face-819-9337266 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This turned out to be a really good action film that pays homage to tough female leads movies from the 90's, but is still fresh, and told quite well. Great cast with Luis Guzman, and Danny Trejo backing up Gina Carano, and Amaury Nolasco as the story leads tightly to the final showdown, and a very acceptable ending. Not to say there are not plot holes, and technical problems that stand out like sore thumbs (Gloves, or no gloves make up your minds. Would have just made more sense to have them using gloves.) Over all though after a very boring first 20- 30 minutes the movie did become Enjoyable for me, the tension amps up, and the action is very realistic, so I am inclined to recommend this to action fans, and people who love to see a woman taking no crap. Not for everyone, but a great afternoon movie for a rained out weekend.
Not quite a comeback for Gina Carano after last year
Seraphion9 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The story tells about Ava, a girl who was brought up harsh by her criminal father, and Derek who just got married and is going on vacation in a Caribbean island. One night, the couple got into trouble with locals at a club, and the next day, while on a zip-line, Derek got an accident and fell. An ambulance comes and takes him to hospital, but the ambulance guys don't let Ava ride with them. At the hospital, Derek is nowhere to be found. She then looks for him at other hospitals and eventually goes to the police.
The police shuts her down. She then acts on her own by tracking back from the zip-line spot. She is able to get assistance from Manny, the guy who took them to the zip-line in the first place. With Manny she managed to track down the culprits and found that the police chief is in bed with them too. The police chief tells her about the doctor who kidnaps Derek and that Derek is dead. After getting payback from the police chief, she then pays the doctor a visit.
At the hospital, it turn out that Derek still lives. He is being held captive as an involuntary donor of bone marrow by Silvio, a local gangster who has a rare type of cancer. Ava rescues him, and they are chased by Silvio. The rest is the couple's struggle to evade and escape Silvio, with Manny's help.
Gina Carano isn't doing well enough after her big break in last year's "Fast & Furious 6", so I thought this movie might be a good comeback for her. Cam Gigandet also suffers quite the same fate after his breakthrough in the first "Twilight" movie. Though maybe Cam has been able to fare better by being able to release a comedy movie more recently, "Bad Johnson".
After some story build, about 15 minutes into the movie, the action starts. It's a typical bar/club fight scene, one protagonist against many, but this time it's a chick in a semi-gown dress who's doing the kicking. There is also suspense thriller action on the zip-lines. Overall the fight scenes are good. But they are not good as in having good fight moves rather they are well executed close-up takes.
Well, Gina Carano doesn't really succeeded in changing careers to the movies industry. Her acting doesn't really cover the non-action parts well enough. The photography direction is so tight on a budget or it's just lame, the angle on shots of persons driving a car in taken directly from the passenger seat.
The story base is good, and it is built well up to the point where Derek is missing. But the development of the middle section of the movie is just plainly lame. On the initial parts up to about the middle of the movie's length, the story is kind of lacking behind, having too many cool-down scenes and action scenes which are not long enough to be thrilling, The story builds much better up on the latter parts. The pace picks up better. The screenplay depicts Ava's character way better than expected of a girl brought up harsh by her own father. The chase and evasion sequence near the finale are great, they keep the thrill and suspense beside the action.
Danny Trejo's character is almost of no relevance to the movie as a whole up until the very end. On the contrary, Amaury Nolasco's character, which is of greater importance, is not well developed up until the extensive duration of his appearance on about the last 30% of the movie. There are also many thing that are not making sense logically, like Derek's foot being broken sideways but he can still limp without screaming his pain, and even fighting one of his pursuers, while escaping Silvio.
All those points make the movie somehow look like an indie movie. Having experienced actors such as Danny Trejo, Luiz Guzman and Amaury Nolasco doesn't really make the breakthrough for this movie. So for all those, I'm giving this movie a 5 out of 10 score. A recommendation is definitely a no from me.
The police shuts her down. She then acts on her own by tracking back from the zip-line spot. She is able to get assistance from Manny, the guy who took them to the zip-line in the first place. With Manny she managed to track down the culprits and found that the police chief is in bed with them too. The police chief tells her about the doctor who kidnaps Derek and that Derek is dead. After getting payback from the police chief, she then pays the doctor a visit.
At the hospital, it turn out that Derek still lives. He is being held captive as an involuntary donor of bone marrow by Silvio, a local gangster who has a rare type of cancer. Ava rescues him, and they are chased by Silvio. The rest is the couple's struggle to evade and escape Silvio, with Manny's help.
Gina Carano isn't doing well enough after her big break in last year's "Fast & Furious 6", so I thought this movie might be a good comeback for her. Cam Gigandet also suffers quite the same fate after his breakthrough in the first "Twilight" movie. Though maybe Cam has been able to fare better by being able to release a comedy movie more recently, "Bad Johnson".
After some story build, about 15 minutes into the movie, the action starts. It's a typical bar/club fight scene, one protagonist against many, but this time it's a chick in a semi-gown dress who's doing the kicking. There is also suspense thriller action on the zip-lines. Overall the fight scenes are good. But they are not good as in having good fight moves rather they are well executed close-up takes.
Well, Gina Carano doesn't really succeeded in changing careers to the movies industry. Her acting doesn't really cover the non-action parts well enough. The photography direction is so tight on a budget or it's just lame, the angle on shots of persons driving a car in taken directly from the passenger seat.
The story base is good, and it is built well up to the point where Derek is missing. But the development of the middle section of the movie is just plainly lame. On the initial parts up to about the middle of the movie's length, the story is kind of lacking behind, having too many cool-down scenes and action scenes which are not long enough to be thrilling, The story builds much better up on the latter parts. The pace picks up better. The screenplay depicts Ava's character way better than expected of a girl brought up harsh by her own father. The chase and evasion sequence near the finale are great, they keep the thrill and suspense beside the action.
Danny Trejo's character is almost of no relevance to the movie as a whole up until the very end. On the contrary, Amaury Nolasco's character, which is of greater importance, is not well developed up until the extensive duration of his appearance on about the last 30% of the movie. There are also many thing that are not making sense logically, like Derek's foot being broken sideways but he can still limp without screaming his pain, and even fighting one of his pursuers, while escaping Silvio.
All those points make the movie somehow look like an indie movie. Having experienced actors such as Danny Trejo, Luiz Guzman and Amaury Nolasco doesn't really make the breakthrough for this movie. So for all those, I'm giving this movie a 5 out of 10 score. A recommendation is definitely a no from me.
Gina throws down a flipping 12 pack of whoop _ss!
cor31818 April 2014
I really enjoyed the story, the set-up, with the family dynamic between grooms father and his son. Interesting twists and turns, great action and realism. The club scene was terrific and the fight sequences well done. The mountain scenery was stunning and the zip line scenes, freaked me out. Gina's acting continues to improve with every project. The slow build of frustration and emotional hopelessness was wonderfully portrayed.
I would have liked to see a bit more character development and dialog. Derek's father and sister needed more lines to show the turmoil of doubt that Derek's father had towards Ava.
Watched it on Direct TV and started the movie very late. I could have paused the movie and come the next day to finish viewing it but I couldn't - I was hooked.
Loved it - heart pounding suspense.
I would have liked to see a bit more character development and dialog. Derek's father and sister needed more lines to show the turmoil of doubt that Derek's father had towards Ava.
Watched it on Direct TV and started the movie very late. I could have paused the movie and come the next day to finish viewing it but I couldn't - I was hooked.
Loved it - heart pounding suspense.
Sadly, bad.
temporaldisturbance21 May 2014
This film has the distinct low-budget look. Maybe it's how they don't blur the backgrounds when people are in foreground, I don't know, but it looks cheaper than a TV show.
The star, a real-life MMA fighter, is not given decent choreography to show off her athleticism. That is perhaps the movie's biggest sin.
Her voice-over is not convincing in the slightest, like she's reading it off a napkin. That is unfortunate, as it destroys the movie from its very first minutes.
Those first minutes are shortly followed by some very awkward expository dialogue at a wedding. Everything is awkward.
Avoid.
The star, a real-life MMA fighter, is not given decent choreography to show off her athleticism. That is perhaps the movie's biggest sin.
Her voice-over is not convincing in the slightest, like she's reading it off a napkin. That is unfortunate, as it destroys the movie from its very first minutes.
Those first minutes are shortly followed by some very awkward expository dialogue at a wedding. Everything is awkward.
Avoid.
Entertaining Straight Up Action Flick with Influences from Taken
blaynebittner12 April 2014
As far as the movie Taken, I would rate a 9. I would rate this movie a 7. The reason i compare these two is because of the premise of the movie.
Despite the lead role being played by an actress who is still learning to act, the movie is entertaining with some unexpected twists.
Remember that the lead actress is an actual female MMA Champion. She's well fit for a role like this, but not quite ready for Academy Awards. She's somewhat like a very attractive female version of Arnold Schwarzennager. Arnold wasn't the greatest actor when he first started acting. He was a Body Builder who played flat characters and over time became a much better actor. Most of his early success was due to his accent and one liners. If you notice, his acting has much improved in his role in "The Escape Plan". Who doesn't remember some famous Arnie quotes? I hated the movie Haywire, and even turned it off early on. I was hesitant to watch this movie due to bad reviews and worrying about how bad the acting would be.
I'd say that this movie is a good B movie. A lot of what makes the movie is how believable the main actress is at actually being able to kill someone. The rest of the cast surrounding her make it much more watchable. This is a movie where its best to shut off your brain, and enjoy some interesting and compelling action sequences.
While the movie is definitely far from reality, it was never supposed to be realistic. The movie lacks comedic relief, which drags it down a bit, but you feel drawn in and forget about your day's worries when watching it.
The point of a movie is to entertain. Did this movie entertain me? Absolutely. I wasn't bored at any point in watching the movie, I would watch it again with a friend when I'm in the mood.
While the movie is quite predictable, there are some scenes I didn't expect. I wouldn't take an under-ager to see this movie, nor a hot date, but you can enjoy this movie with people who enjoy action flicks.
The movie is not nearly as bad as the rating it received. The movie isn't one of my top 50, but it is for sure worth a watch or two.
If you plan to watch this movie, please do yourself a favor and shut off your brain and enjoy it for what it is.
While the main actress is far from the best actress, she has improved somewhat since her role in Haywire. She has potential to become a better actress.
There are definitely some disturbing scenes. If you don't like extremely violent and dark action movies, this movie is not for you.
If it wasn't for being able to enjoy this movie because of the reasons I listed, I would rate it a 4/10. The unique action scenes and interesting characters make up for the mediocre acting. The movie ends well, but I won't ruin the ending for anyone.
Despite the lead role being played by an actress who is still learning to act, the movie is entertaining with some unexpected twists.
Remember that the lead actress is an actual female MMA Champion. She's well fit for a role like this, but not quite ready for Academy Awards. She's somewhat like a very attractive female version of Arnold Schwarzennager. Arnold wasn't the greatest actor when he first started acting. He was a Body Builder who played flat characters and over time became a much better actor. Most of his early success was due to his accent and one liners. If you notice, his acting has much improved in his role in "The Escape Plan". Who doesn't remember some famous Arnie quotes? I hated the movie Haywire, and even turned it off early on. I was hesitant to watch this movie due to bad reviews and worrying about how bad the acting would be.
I'd say that this movie is a good B movie. A lot of what makes the movie is how believable the main actress is at actually being able to kill someone. The rest of the cast surrounding her make it much more watchable. This is a movie where its best to shut off your brain, and enjoy some interesting and compelling action sequences.
While the movie is definitely far from reality, it was never supposed to be realistic. The movie lacks comedic relief, which drags it down a bit, but you feel drawn in and forget about your day's worries when watching it.
The point of a movie is to entertain. Did this movie entertain me? Absolutely. I wasn't bored at any point in watching the movie, I would watch it again with a friend when I'm in the mood.
While the movie is quite predictable, there are some scenes I didn't expect. I wouldn't take an under-ager to see this movie, nor a hot date, but you can enjoy this movie with people who enjoy action flicks.
The movie is not nearly as bad as the rating it received. The movie isn't one of my top 50, but it is for sure worth a watch or two.
If you plan to watch this movie, please do yourself a favor and shut off your brain and enjoy it for what it is.
While the main actress is far from the best actress, she has improved somewhat since her role in Haywire. She has potential to become a better actress.
There are definitely some disturbing scenes. If you don't like extremely violent and dark action movies, this movie is not for you.
If it wasn't for being able to enjoy this movie because of the reasons I listed, I would rate it a 4/10. The unique action scenes and interesting characters make up for the mediocre acting. The movie ends well, but I won't ruin the ending for anyone.
Such Crap Acting, it's Cringeworthy!
binthaider-755-8228494 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Gina Carano's acting was utter rubbish.
I saw her in Fast and Furious 6 and even though her acting in that was awful too her fight scenes and the fact that she was around great actors/actress's made it bearable to watch her.
In this movie she was horrendous, her emotions, her lack of responses, her facial expressions just didn't seem normal and didn't at all look real. They didn't match a woman who is newly married and in love nor do they match a woman who was concerned for her husband much.
Yes she did all the right things but her acting was rubbish! Yes she has a crying issue due to her upbringing but seriously it was like she doesn't care.
It seems as though she had to go through the motions because that is what a woman in her situation would do.
She was just BLANK... like teaching a robot to act and react like a human. It just doesn't work!
I saw her in Fast and Furious 6 and even though her acting in that was awful too her fight scenes and the fact that she was around great actors/actress's made it bearable to watch her.
In this movie she was horrendous, her emotions, her lack of responses, her facial expressions just didn't seem normal and didn't at all look real. They didn't match a woman who is newly married and in love nor do they match a woman who was concerned for her husband much.
Yes she did all the right things but her acting was rubbish! Yes she has a crying issue due to her upbringing but seriously it was like she doesn't care.
It seems as though she had to go through the motions because that is what a woman in her situation would do.
She was just BLANK... like teaching a robot to act and react like a human. It just doesn't work!
Gina's a good action hero
bbickley13-921-5866410 April 2014
I like Gina Carano as an action hero. I think she has what it takes. she's fun to look at, especially when she does those MMA fighting movies to beat up the bad guys. Watching her crush a man's skull in-between her thighs is sexy, without her even trying to be sexy.
The movie is about a woman with a checkered past getting her life together by marrying the love of her life, who suddenly becomes endangered thanks to the local bad dudes who put a wretch in their honeymoon and because the cops are unwilling to help she seeks vengeance on her own. Sounds like every other action film out their right? but that's perfect to show us what Gina can really do as an action hero and she delivers. What makes the movie interesting is using a small Caribbean island as the back drop adding some new flavor to a typical slab of Beef that an action film can be. Of course what makes the movie bad ass is having Mr. Bad Ass himself, Danny Trejo in the film. This guy adds 25% to any B-action film.
I honest thought Haywire would have done more for her career other than just being The Rock's partner in the ensemble cast that is the Fast and The Furious 6. The world could use a few more female driven action movies other than the Resident Evil or Underworld franchise. Who cares if she could use a few more acting lessons, we let Chuck Norris get away with it. Then again, Chuck Norris let's us get away with living.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good action film.
The movie is about a woman with a checkered past getting her life together by marrying the love of her life, who suddenly becomes endangered thanks to the local bad dudes who put a wretch in their honeymoon and because the cops are unwilling to help she seeks vengeance on her own. Sounds like every other action film out their right? but that's perfect to show us what Gina can really do as an action hero and she delivers. What makes the movie interesting is using a small Caribbean island as the back drop adding some new flavor to a typical slab of Beef that an action film can be. Of course what makes the movie bad ass is having Mr. Bad Ass himself, Danny Trejo in the film. This guy adds 25% to any B-action film.
I honest thought Haywire would have done more for her career other than just being The Rock's partner in the ensemble cast that is the Fast and The Furious 6. The world could use a few more female driven action movies other than the Resident Evil or Underworld franchise. Who cares if she could use a few more acting lessons, we let Chuck Norris get away with it. Then again, Chuck Norris let's us get away with living.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good action film.
Carano is really making a name for herself (as an action movie star)!
Hellmant21 May 2014
'IN THE BLOOD': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
MMA fighter turned action movie star Gina Carano plays the lead in this crime thriller directed by John Stockwell (who's directed other popular B movies like 'BLUE CRUSH' and 'INTO THE BLUE'). It was written by James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin (the duo also wrote the horror movie sequel 'JOY RIDE 2: DEAD AHEAD') and tells the story of a recently married woman, with a violent past, who's husband goes missing on the couple's Caribbean honeymoon (after he has a freak zip-lining accident). It costars Cam Gigandet, Luis Guzman, Danny Trejo, Amaury Nolasco, Stephen Lang, Treat Williams and Ismael Cruz Cordova. It's not as good as Carano's first venture into leading lady action flick status ('HAYWIRE') but it is surprisingly well made and effective.
Carano plays Ava, a skilled fighter who was raised to be an emotionless killing machine, by her abusive father (Lang). With her marriage to Derek (Gigandet) she's hoping to leave that life behind but it of course haunts her once again, when the couple goes honeymooning in the Caribbean. First they get into a bar fight with a local crime boss, named Big Biz (Trejo), and his men. Then Derek has an accident, while the two are zip-lining, and goes missing on his way to the hospital. Ava will stop at nothing to find out what happened to him; even when the police, lead by Chief Ramon Garza (Guzman), are useless.
The movie is surprisingly intense and brutally violent. It's well written (for a B movie), with plenty of surprising twists, and decently directed too, by Stockwell. The cast is all impressive (for a film like this) especially Carano though. I'm really interested in seeing her continue to pursue this action movie career and I think she's off to a great start. Her part in 'FAST & FURIOUS 6' was a bit too small (and wasted her talents) but with this flick, and 'HAYWIRE', I think she's really making a name for herself (as an action movie star). It would have been really cool to see her play Wonder Woman, in the upcoming 'JUSTICE LEAGUE' franchise, she's already dating Superman (Henry Cavill)!
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MMA fighter turned action movie star Gina Carano plays the lead in this crime thriller directed by John Stockwell (who's directed other popular B movies like 'BLUE CRUSH' and 'INTO THE BLUE'). It was written by James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin (the duo also wrote the horror movie sequel 'JOY RIDE 2: DEAD AHEAD') and tells the story of a recently married woman, with a violent past, who's husband goes missing on the couple's Caribbean honeymoon (after he has a freak zip-lining accident). It costars Cam Gigandet, Luis Guzman, Danny Trejo, Amaury Nolasco, Stephen Lang, Treat Williams and Ismael Cruz Cordova. It's not as good as Carano's first venture into leading lady action flick status ('HAYWIRE') but it is surprisingly well made and effective.
Carano plays Ava, a skilled fighter who was raised to be an emotionless killing machine, by her abusive father (Lang). With her marriage to Derek (Gigandet) she's hoping to leave that life behind but it of course haunts her once again, when the couple goes honeymooning in the Caribbean. First they get into a bar fight with a local crime boss, named Big Biz (Trejo), and his men. Then Derek has an accident, while the two are zip-lining, and goes missing on his way to the hospital. Ava will stop at nothing to find out what happened to him; even when the police, lead by Chief Ramon Garza (Guzman), are useless.
The movie is surprisingly intense and brutally violent. It's well written (for a B movie), with plenty of surprising twists, and decently directed too, by Stockwell. The cast is all impressive (for a film like this) especially Carano though. I'm really interested in seeing her continue to pursue this action movie career and I think she's off to a great start. Her part in 'FAST & FURIOUS 6' was a bit too small (and wasted her talents) but with this flick, and 'HAYWIRE', I think she's really making a name for herself (as an action movie star). It would have been really cool to see her play Wonder Woman, in the upcoming 'JUSTICE LEAGUE' franchise, she's already dating Superman (Henry Cavill)!
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://youtu.be/Ie33IbZzmi0
Watch so you can be reminded it's worth watching good movies (not this one)
p_imdb-508-24270013 April 2014
If you've done everything possible on your bucket list, and are waiting around with nothing to do with your time before you die, watch this movie.
There's as much wooden acting as Commando, but without the muscles. The story sucks, which is disappointing as it's ripped from others before yet still can't learn from any of those and make a decent go of it.
Characterisation is appallingly poor. I'm not sure what the director was doing but clearly his focus had nothing to do with the characters and their acting in each scene. Maybe he was elsewhere on another movie at the time? It certainly comes across like it.
Overall I found it wanting in every cinematic aspect - few redeeming qualities with which to call it a feature film. Other than length - they spin this out to the thick end of two hours. There's lots of killing and blood, however. And quite a bit of fighting, though boringly captured. Some others have mentioned MMA in their reviews. My view - forget martial arts here, the acronym in this effort stands for Mostly Mangled Acting.
A good waste of time if you generally feel better about yourself from laughing at D grade movies.
There's as much wooden acting as Commando, but without the muscles. The story sucks, which is disappointing as it's ripped from others before yet still can't learn from any of those and make a decent go of it.
Characterisation is appallingly poor. I'm not sure what the director was doing but clearly his focus had nothing to do with the characters and their acting in each scene. Maybe he was elsewhere on another movie at the time? It certainly comes across like it.
Overall I found it wanting in every cinematic aspect - few redeeming qualities with which to call it a feature film. Other than length - they spin this out to the thick end of two hours. There's lots of killing and blood, however. And quite a bit of fighting, though boringly captured. Some others have mentioned MMA in their reviews. My view - forget martial arts here, the acronym in this effort stands for Mostly Mangled Acting.
A good waste of time if you generally feel better about yourself from laughing at D grade movies.
Gina Carano...WOW!
Micdriver5 July 2014
I am impressed with the thoughtful actions of Gina Carano. I feel I have found a new and fantastic female hero. I hope there will be more to come from her. What is it with Danny Trejo? He is in every other movie these days.
Gina Carano has strength and power in her punches and isn't taking "NO" for an answer as she goes thru every detail and menace to find what she's looking for. Her character has heart and soul and responds vigilantly. I am happy finally to see a woman take the reins. Gina Carano GO!
The plot however is too thick perhaps to understand and one gets greatly lost yet the determination of Gina Carano's character (Ava) removes doubt that this film might fall over. Only the bad guys drop dead!
Gina Carano has strength and power in her punches and isn't taking "NO" for an answer as she goes thru every detail and menace to find what she's looking for. Her character has heart and soul and responds vigilantly. I am happy finally to see a woman take the reins. Gina Carano GO!
The plot however is too thick perhaps to understand and one gets greatly lost yet the determination of Gina Carano's character (Ava) removes doubt that this film might fall over. Only the bad guys drop dead!
HARDER, QUICKER, FASTER, DIRTIER
nogodnomasters9 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ava (Gina Carano) has had a hard life as the daughter of a criminal. She grew up hard and fast by a daddy who instructed her how to defend herself. As an addict she meets Derek (Cam Gigandet) a rich gentleman who marries her. On their island honeymoon, Derek has an accident and goes missing. The police are reluctant to help. Ava must go "walking tall" all over a poor tropical island while being sought by the police.
Gina Carano is a more convincing tough girl than the models and twinkies who have played those roles. The film is fairly formulaic except it does have some welcomed unexpected twists. Danny Trejo is on the screen far less than Ismael Cruz Cordova, but you might ask who the heck is Ismael Cruz Cordova.
Decent action film with some cat fighting. Although I don't understand why she spared Silvio Lugo (Amaury Nolasco) when we waxed that other guy.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.
Gina Carano is a more convincing tough girl than the models and twinkies who have played those roles. The film is fairly formulaic except it does have some welcomed unexpected twists. Danny Trejo is on the screen far less than Ismael Cruz Cordova, but you might ask who the heck is Ismael Cruz Cordova.
Decent action film with some cat fighting. Although I don't understand why she spared Silvio Lugo (Amaury Nolasco) when we waxed that other guy.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.
Bad film
triplexchiu20 April 2014
Gina Carano, a top person and amazing MMA fighter. Too bad she was unable to translate this onto the big screen. Love her personality but not her films. Her acting has improved but its not good enough.
At times Gina carries the look as though shes ready for an MMA fight.
Storyline of the movie is simple and boring. Wife gets married, husband goes missing. Wife goes after the men that have taken her husband. Sounds like a rip off of Taken.
The good? Of course Gina's fighting does give the film some light. Her MMA moves are always good to watch. Even though it is highly unrealistic to do a BJJ takedown in a nightclub.
I think Gina should hold off on leading roles and take supporting roles instead to give her experience before taking on a leading role.
At times Gina carries the look as though shes ready for an MMA fight.
Storyline of the movie is simple and boring. Wife gets married, husband goes missing. Wife goes after the men that have taken her husband. Sounds like a rip off of Taken.
The good? Of course Gina's fighting does give the film some light. Her MMA moves are always good to watch. Even though it is highly unrealistic to do a BJJ takedown in a nightclub.
I think Gina should hold off on leading roles and take supporting roles instead to give her experience before taking on a leading role.
Thrilling Suspense Action Mystery
Floated23 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In The Blood starring Gina Carano remains a work in progress as an actress, but has an undeniable screen presence. She's obviously gifted with the physical stuff in action scenes, but also has a charm that works well in reactive situations. Soderbergh knew how to harness this in "Haywire" for scenes of coiled danger, and there's a sequence in In the Blood where a handcuffed Ava coaxes a police officer into escorting her to the bathroom, which we know won't end well for him. Other times, however, since the film is so much in service of her as a proactive dispenser of pain unto others, In the Blood struggles to maintain a connection amidst its forward-leaning momentum, however as a one time watch, the film holds up. Do not take the film as serious but it is quite a mysterious thrill ride. Compared to Taken, this film isn't it but for sure does share certain similarities in its premise. Gina Carano can he a threat in the future but she needs a big break through. Haywire put her up their as an audience but she needs something else.
Misguided vehicle for Gina Carano
gridoon20247 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Possibly the best female action star of our times, along with Zoe Bell, Gina Carano deserves a better vehicle than "In The Blood". It's true that in this movie you get to see a lot of Gina's fantastic body (I envy the woman who was lucky enough to get knocked out in Gina's sleeper hold - just look at her biceps and you'll know why), but it has a lot of problems: the editing is often amateurish, the cinematography is sometimes poor (although the locations are beautiful), the kidnapping story is very standard, there is practically only ONE real fight scene in the entire movie (all the rest are quick beatdowns by Gina on opponents who don't stand a chance - I hope they won't turn her into the female Steven Seagal), and the excessively cruel edge of Gina's character (she perpetrates a lot more violence than the villains) makes it hard to root for her as much as we should. Danny Trejo is on the DVD cover but he appears in no more than four scenes in total. ** out of 4.
No tension, no consistency, fragmented and detached action and generally much lower-rent and duller than Carano deserves
bob the moo19 April 2014
Despite not really having been taken by Gina Carano's previous film, I decided to give this one a try as I thought that maybe a simpler and more stripped down film may suit her better – she is essentially a b- movie star in the making, so I was interested to see her let loose in a much more genre vehicle where the film would have no interest but to play to her strengths. Any doubts that I may have had that the film would not be a b-movie were dispelled pretty quickly as the film wheeled out the plot with no real effort to fill in backstory beyond one flashback sequences then lots of clunking dialogue to inform us the husband is from a wealthy family and other bits of information. So far so good (in a twisted way) as I assumed we were just clearing stuff out of the way to make more room for tension and action.
Unfortunately this is the tone for the whole film – clunkiness. The plot sees her husband go missing and, with no help from authorities and far from home, Carano has to take matters into her own hands. This she does and the end result is perhaps a few good fight scenes but generally the film lacks tension and (ironically) real impact. I was bored for too much of the film and when the action did splutter into life, it seemed determined not to build any drama and instead left it to the tough presence of the lead to do the heavy lifting. She does this to a point but she needed help that never came and it is a shame to see that she still really hasn't had the chance to turn herself into the female star for the audience that still turns out for Van Damme etc films.
The location and the nature of the film looks a bit too low-rent and this isn't helped by how detached I was from the action. Beyond Carano the cast are an odd mix of so-so turns from people you don't know, but bored ones from people you do. Gigandet seems uneasy with his damsel in distress role and doesn't know who he is. Trejo, Williams and Guzmán feel like they were cast for their names and faces and in return get a bit of a holiday shooting in a nice climate. Nolasco is a decent villain but not made the most of.
If you are in an undemanding mood then maybe this film has enough to distract you for a while, but personally I found it disappointing. The running time plods by and a plot that should be fuelled by desperation and violence is really slowed down too much and action sequences can of "happen" rather than being the result of a strong build up and delivery. Carano is physically impressive and is a decent presence if you don't ask too much from her – I'm still hoping someone can make better use of her than they have so far.
Unfortunately this is the tone for the whole film – clunkiness. The plot sees her husband go missing and, with no help from authorities and far from home, Carano has to take matters into her own hands. This she does and the end result is perhaps a few good fight scenes but generally the film lacks tension and (ironically) real impact. I was bored for too much of the film and when the action did splutter into life, it seemed determined not to build any drama and instead left it to the tough presence of the lead to do the heavy lifting. She does this to a point but she needed help that never came and it is a shame to see that she still really hasn't had the chance to turn herself into the female star for the audience that still turns out for Van Damme etc films.
The location and the nature of the film looks a bit too low-rent and this isn't helped by how detached I was from the action. Beyond Carano the cast are an odd mix of so-so turns from people you don't know, but bored ones from people you do. Gigandet seems uneasy with his damsel in distress role and doesn't know who he is. Trejo, Williams and Guzmán feel like they were cast for their names and faces and in return get a bit of a holiday shooting in a nice climate. Nolasco is a decent villain but not made the most of.
If you are in an undemanding mood then maybe this film has enough to distract you for a while, but personally I found it disappointing. The running time plods by and a plot that should be fuelled by desperation and violence is really slowed down too much and action sequences can of "happen" rather than being the result of a strong build up and delivery. Carano is physically impressive and is a decent presence if you don't ask too much from her – I'm still hoping someone can make better use of her than they have so far.
Good Action Flick
ellic11 October 2019
It looked as if this would be an action-packed entertaining movie, but the last 15 minutes were so awfully bad.
peterp-450-29871610 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"When all the bastards are gone and dead, only then rest your head." Lets hope not too many movie lovers take this movie too seriously otherwise the Dominican Republic will have a serious tourism problem. Who wants to travel to such an idyllic island and ultimately face the local mafia? The tropical paradise photos of this incredibly beautiful island will fade after watching this low-budget action movie. The chance that you'll disappear and end up being used for some seedy business seems not unlikely. So it's advisable to avoid this extremely dangerous island and put your mind on some other tropical island. The local Dominican population won't be concerned, but the tourism industry will lick its wounds. Just kidding, I don't think it's not gonna rock the boat ! "In the blood" could only convince me in a moderate way until the denouement took such absurd proportions that it was hugely laughable. I am more inclined to believe the advertisement in which two barrels of cheap washing powder are being exchanged with that of a cheaper brand. This was just a hodgepodge of poor plot lines and probably some poor ideas that were shrugged off by others filmmakers. At the time Danny Trejo (Can anyone tell me in which movie he doesn't appear ?) pops up, the chance of this being a lousy B-action movie becomes huge. And when you realize that there are still films where Trejo occurs in, which are way better than this one , there's clearly something wrong with this film.
Gina Carano, a famous MMA fighter, is back in action. Her performance as Mallory Kane in "Haywire" is still fresh in my memory, and the only thing I can remember is that it was a kind of "Bourne Identity" film. For the rest it wasn't that special. Carano is a skilled practitioner of mixed martial arts and has a sensual beauty. That's a fact. On the other hand she also acts in a stiff manner, which is mostly compensated by using a specific positioning of the camera in the film process, which ensures her lascivious formed body parts being clearly visualized, just to cover up this issue. In "In the blood" she plays Ava, a reformed drug addict, who's on a honeymoon in the Caribbean with her new husband Derek. He's also a former drug addict and they've met in rehab. Everything seems rosy, as witnessed by the vivid images of sheer love. However, sometimes you get the feeling that the two are strangers to each other while watching the sunset. The chemistry between the two is sometimes hard to find. The moment Ava demonstrates her techniques, taught by her father so she could defend herself, in a nightclub where she fights like a real fury, Derek looks at it with amazement and probably wonders who he's married to. Pretty unlikely.
However, everything goes awry when Derek falls into an abyss during ziplining, getting seriously injured. Fortunately, his cell phone miraculously survives the terrible fall. He's picked up by an ambulance and obviously Ava can't join the ride because of some insurance rules. Afterwards she comes to the conclusion that her husband is nowhere to be found and apparently wasn't admitted to any hospital. In short, Derek disappeared. And the candidate suspects are lining up. Smooth young Manny (Ismael Cruz Cordova) who volunteered to show the island, the instructor at the zip-line, the local criminal Big Biz (Danny Trejo), the skeptical police chief Ramon Garza (Luis Guzman) and even her father in law are all potential suspects. Because Ava can't count on any sympathy, plus nobody is willing to organize a serious search for Derek and last but not least she's also taken into custody, she decides to take matters into her own hands and starts a personal quest to find Derek.
The fact that bodies are piling up as she progresses in this research isn't annoying. Ultimately that's what everybody is waiting for. A seemingly fragile woman who's sweeping the floor in a fairly heavy-handed way with all kinds of scum. However, in most cases the portrayal isn't very original and sublime. The only fight scene worth to watch was the one in the nightclub. The following confrontations are rather dull and laughable implausible. Only Luis Guzman, also someone who has a long list of meaningless performances in all sorts of films such as in "We're the Millers", could really convince me in terms of acting (Mind you,compared to others in this particular movie only). Trejo's only quality is portraying a bad-ass, which isn't so difficult to achieve with his appearance. And Amaury Nolasco is someone who, after his appearance in "Prison Break" and recently in "Animal", tries to look like a bad-ass, but judging from the scene in the small village at the end still looks like a harmless wimp.
The final revelation of how it all fits together, at the same time reflecting the double meaning of the title, is of such a low level that I'm sure that the screenwriters spent more time in the salty water then at the writing table at that point . Are you someone who loves seeing a fragile-looking wench slapping around a notorious gang of muscular-looking bullies, then you'll enjoy yourself with this one. However, it's advisable to take a stimulating pill in order to survive the outrageous bad last 15 minutes.
More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be
Gina Carano, a famous MMA fighter, is back in action. Her performance as Mallory Kane in "Haywire" is still fresh in my memory, and the only thing I can remember is that it was a kind of "Bourne Identity" film. For the rest it wasn't that special. Carano is a skilled practitioner of mixed martial arts and has a sensual beauty. That's a fact. On the other hand she also acts in a stiff manner, which is mostly compensated by using a specific positioning of the camera in the film process, which ensures her lascivious formed body parts being clearly visualized, just to cover up this issue. In "In the blood" she plays Ava, a reformed drug addict, who's on a honeymoon in the Caribbean with her new husband Derek. He's also a former drug addict and they've met in rehab. Everything seems rosy, as witnessed by the vivid images of sheer love. However, sometimes you get the feeling that the two are strangers to each other while watching the sunset. The chemistry between the two is sometimes hard to find. The moment Ava demonstrates her techniques, taught by her father so she could defend herself, in a nightclub where she fights like a real fury, Derek looks at it with amazement and probably wonders who he's married to. Pretty unlikely.
However, everything goes awry when Derek falls into an abyss during ziplining, getting seriously injured. Fortunately, his cell phone miraculously survives the terrible fall. He's picked up by an ambulance and obviously Ava can't join the ride because of some insurance rules. Afterwards she comes to the conclusion that her husband is nowhere to be found and apparently wasn't admitted to any hospital. In short, Derek disappeared. And the candidate suspects are lining up. Smooth young Manny (Ismael Cruz Cordova) who volunteered to show the island, the instructor at the zip-line, the local criminal Big Biz (Danny Trejo), the skeptical police chief Ramon Garza (Luis Guzman) and even her father in law are all potential suspects. Because Ava can't count on any sympathy, plus nobody is willing to organize a serious search for Derek and last but not least she's also taken into custody, she decides to take matters into her own hands and starts a personal quest to find Derek.
The fact that bodies are piling up as she progresses in this research isn't annoying. Ultimately that's what everybody is waiting for. A seemingly fragile woman who's sweeping the floor in a fairly heavy-handed way with all kinds of scum. However, in most cases the portrayal isn't very original and sublime. The only fight scene worth to watch was the one in the nightclub. The following confrontations are rather dull and laughable implausible. Only Luis Guzman, also someone who has a long list of meaningless performances in all sorts of films such as in "We're the Millers", could really convince me in terms of acting (Mind you,compared to others in this particular movie only). Trejo's only quality is portraying a bad-ass, which isn't so difficult to achieve with his appearance. And Amaury Nolasco is someone who, after his appearance in "Prison Break" and recently in "Animal", tries to look like a bad-ass, but judging from the scene in the small village at the end still looks like a harmless wimp.
The final revelation of how it all fits together, at the same time reflecting the double meaning of the title, is of such a low level that I'm sure that the screenwriters spent more time in the salty water then at the writing table at that point . Are you someone who loves seeing a fragile-looking wench slapping around a notorious gang of muscular-looking bullies, then you'll enjoy yourself with this one. However, it's advisable to take a stimulating pill in order to survive the outrageous bad last 15 minutes.
More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be
This movie is insane!!
planktonrules6 April 2014
I'll be honest about this film, I am NOT a big action film fan nor do I like ultra-violent films. In the Blood is clearly BOTH of these— especially the latter. The amazing thing is that although the violence made me cringe, it was also a movie that kept me glued to the screen...and my adrenalin pumping!
The film stars Gina Carano and if you've never heard of Miss Carano, I wouldn't be surprised. She's only done a few films, though she is famous as an MMA and Muay Thai fighter!! And, as you'd expect from a woman with such training, her skills are INSANELY good. Heck, she seems tougher and more capable than all the male action stars of the genre—and she makes it all look so real! By comparison, films by Van Damme and Steven Seagal look like kids' films!!! I also love Carano because although she is pretty, she's NOT the Hollywood type. She has real curves and looks like she's NOT the product of plastic surgery and bulimia!!
The film is set on some fictional Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation or, perhaps, they intend it to be the Dominican Republic (there are three Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean—and it's not Cuba and they said it wasn't Puerto Rico in the movie*)—they never say. Regardless, the place is corrupt very, very, very corrupt. It's so corrupt that when an American tourist is kidnapped (or possibly killed), those responsible for it pay EVERYONE to pretend it never happened—even the cops! So, this leaves Ana (Carano) all alone in a hostile country where practically no one seems able or willing to help. The neat thing about the film is that it is wonderful at misdirection. It's a very smart film as again and again I was surprised by who was behind all this and why. And, how it all ends is simply impossible to anticipate**.
Overall, this is a super-high action film with an amazing heroine—one that doesn't stand around waiting to be saved by a man—and I love that. Carano plays the real thing—and action hero in every sense of the word— and a darn scary one!!
So do I recommend the film? Well, I don't know. Its violence level is off the charts and it's certainly NOT a film for the kids, your mother or Father Flannigan! Plus, even if you THINK you like action films, you might just find this one too intense, bloody and violent. Often, Ana kills—much like Sonny Chiba did in his Street Fighter films. But aside from the violence, it's an exceptional film all around. Heck, even NOW after the movie's been over for some time, my heart is STILL pounding it's that intense and that well made.
*They said the film is NOT set in Puerto Rico and talked about how they can escape to the nearby island of Puerto Rico. But, in reality, the film was actually made in Puerto Rico. I don't know what this will do for tourism!
**If you SERIOUSLY anticipated all the twists, turns and surprises in this film, drop me a line. You are DEFINITELY psychic and I want to talk to you about the Florida Lottery.
The film stars Gina Carano and if you've never heard of Miss Carano, I wouldn't be surprised. She's only done a few films, though she is famous as an MMA and Muay Thai fighter!! And, as you'd expect from a woman with such training, her skills are INSANELY good. Heck, she seems tougher and more capable than all the male action stars of the genre—and she makes it all look so real! By comparison, films by Van Damme and Steven Seagal look like kids' films!!! I also love Carano because although she is pretty, she's NOT the Hollywood type. She has real curves and looks like she's NOT the product of plastic surgery and bulimia!!
The film is set on some fictional Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation or, perhaps, they intend it to be the Dominican Republic (there are three Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean—and it's not Cuba and they said it wasn't Puerto Rico in the movie*)—they never say. Regardless, the place is corrupt very, very, very corrupt. It's so corrupt that when an American tourist is kidnapped (or possibly killed), those responsible for it pay EVERYONE to pretend it never happened—even the cops! So, this leaves Ana (Carano) all alone in a hostile country where practically no one seems able or willing to help. The neat thing about the film is that it is wonderful at misdirection. It's a very smart film as again and again I was surprised by who was behind all this and why. And, how it all ends is simply impossible to anticipate**.
Overall, this is a super-high action film with an amazing heroine—one that doesn't stand around waiting to be saved by a man—and I love that. Carano plays the real thing—and action hero in every sense of the word— and a darn scary one!!
So do I recommend the film? Well, I don't know. Its violence level is off the charts and it's certainly NOT a film for the kids, your mother or Father Flannigan! Plus, even if you THINK you like action films, you might just find this one too intense, bloody and violent. Often, Ana kills—much like Sonny Chiba did in his Street Fighter films. But aside from the violence, it's an exceptional film all around. Heck, even NOW after the movie's been over for some time, my heart is STILL pounding it's that intense and that well made.
*They said the film is NOT set in Puerto Rico and talked about how they can escape to the nearby island of Puerto Rico. But, in reality, the film was actually made in Puerto Rico. I don't know what this will do for tourism!
**If you SERIOUSLY anticipated all the twists, turns and surprises in this film, drop me a line. You are DEFINITELY psychic and I want to talk to you about the Florida Lottery.
The wife's trying to track down her missing husband!
Reno-Rangan14 December 2016
Ever since I saw 'Haywire', I thought Gina Carano would be the next action queen of Hollywood. But very disappointed for her using in small and negative roles. I have been waiting for this film, but could not see it at that time and now I saw it anyway. She was amazing, born to do stunt films and this film I think specially created for her. You can call it a mini 'Taken', though an entertaining film. The plot does not make any sense, but it works as a thriller.
So this is the story of a young woman who grew up with her tough father, who also taught how to defend herself against any kind of threat. A few years later she marries a wealthy man and while honeymooning on a Caribbean island, her husband goes missing after an accident. Now all her focus is to find him and with her skills, she faces the bad guys of the island. How far she goes fighting is what covered in the remaining.
Not the best film from the director of 'Into the Blue', it would work for some people who seek timepass. But I liked it only for Gina Carano and I hope she does more flicks like this. I know some scenes and plots should have been better, like the final chasing scene had too many faults. In the end, I don't think so it was a big deal since in the kind of setting it takes place. I hope you simply enjoy it rather thinking of its flaws during your watch.
6.5/10
So this is the story of a young woman who grew up with her tough father, who also taught how to defend herself against any kind of threat. A few years later she marries a wealthy man and while honeymooning on a Caribbean island, her husband goes missing after an accident. Now all her focus is to find him and with her skills, she faces the bad guys of the island. How far she goes fighting is what covered in the remaining.
Not the best film from the director of 'Into the Blue', it would work for some people who seek timepass. But I liked it only for Gina Carano and I hope she does more flicks like this. I know some scenes and plots should have been better, like the final chasing scene had too many faults. In the end, I don't think so it was a big deal since in the kind of setting it takes place. I hope you simply enjoy it rather thinking of its flaws during your watch.
6.5/10
2 Stars at best....and that's out of 10
jamellb0098 April 2014
First off, the only reason I did not give it a 1 was because I am a fan of action movies and martial arts. The action was good but not as good as some reviews before me. The movie is an hour and 47 minutes, it took me 3 hours to watch it because it just was not interesting enough so I took breaks to play candy crush.I'm not a critic and have been known to watch some movies on here with ratings lower than a 5 and have loved them. For this movie to get above a 4 is amazing. Her acting is horrific. Oh but wait, she looks good. That'll do it. I didn't see the negative review till after I watched the movie.Well I guess its too late now. Did I mention her acting was HORRIBLE...... like WOW.
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