When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play…and it's all or nothing. Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes…and this time, it's all or nothing. For fans of the Stath's famous butt kicking routines, Wild Card (a remake of an old Burt Reynolds flick) may come as a bit of a shock to the action loving system as while it features some pretty impressive moments of the bald brit taking it to the bad guys with all manner of implements (credit cards, poker chips, ash trays etc.), it's a much more mellow and downtrodden affair than its synopsis suggests and also a wildly strange tale that acts as one of Statham's more original yet not overly impressive movies in some time.<br/><br/>Based on William Goldman's novel and written by the author, Simon "Con Air" West's film is a mixture of dark humour, violent showdowns and a lesson in why one shouldn't gamble and also a film that fails to nail down a centre point that could've allowed Wild Card to be a truly memorable excursion to Vegas. What West does well is the capturing of the lights and seedy underbelly of Vegas and setting the film near the Festive season gives the City of Sin a fresh spin that makes it stand out from the crowded marketplace of films set in the Nevada staple. The film also has a considerably strong start that makes one think where in for a one heck of an unpredictable journey only for much of the films good work to become undone in an overly complicated and unfulfilling middle act.<br/><br/>Statham's Nick Wild is one of his typical tough guy characters, strapped with his usual satirical quips and mean looks and his at his most interesting in the films early stretches where we're unsure of just who or what this man is or capable of. Once Wild, Vegas's only personal security guard, meets with Milo Ventimiglia's arrogant and vile mobster Danny DeMarco, Wild Card quickly loses steam and fails to capitalise on story strands such as Wild's dealings with mysterious gambler Cyrus played by Michael Angarano and an interesting arc that involves long term acquaintance Holly played by Dominik Garcia-Lorido. It feels as though Wild Card could've been a longer movie, a strange thing to say in today's climate of films outstaying there welcome, yet it feels like it's a rushed story that had more to give to its audience and actors.<br/><br/>A whole lot more off kilter than I personally was expecting, Wild Card certainly isn't your typical Statham tale yet it has many of the familiar elements that have now become a hallmark of his career. Much of Wild Card's simple pleasures are courtesy of a thankfully intriguing first act and sparse fight scenes yet the film descends into something wholly forgettable in the later stages, which is a shame as there's enough here to suggest that Wild Card was on a winning hand only to blow it all on a disappointingly low end safe bet.<br/><br/>2 and a half surprise pickles out of 5 Being pigeonholed is tricky if in that box there has been a more than just a little success. In a nutshell, that's Jason Statham. He's the ultimate Charles Bronson, brooding and somewhat wooden by choice. What raises Statham's star above it is his athleticism which is much more physical, even graceful here, blending martial arts with heaps of conflict. Hard to deny in the narrow range he seems to live in he's got lots of charisma. Statham even flirts with nuances of some real acting chops too, at times reminiscent of what is probably his best role in The Bank Job. Overall, however, brute sensationalism in a rather mundane plot limits the sum total of Wild Card.<br/><br/>All things mentioned though Wild Card is a good movie and Statham carries it well. One just wishes for less bombast and more of Statham playing a character who isn't an island. Here he's a complicated loner who we really don't get to know past the excellent fight scenes. And they are quite expertly rendered, truly some of the best fight scenes I've ever witnessed on film. Only trouble is they, more or less, eclipse whoever his character, Nick Wild, really is. It leaves one wishing for more. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent too. So, if you're content with Statham as mainly just a way cool action figure you'll be pleased. This movie is actually rated too low, it should be a solid 6.5, maybe even a 7l I'll go out on a limb and give it my recommendation simply because I never got bored and I did enjoy it. A quirky re-boot of the old Burt Reynolds hashtag "Heat," this modest character vehicle for the lifeless, balding and incomprehensibly inarticulate Jason Statham is so bleak and moody it won’t be much of a lure to action fans.
Wineber replied
347 weeks ago