Entertaining gun action
A remote police station, a detainee with unknown identity, and impending doom - sounds familiar? Yet this is no Assault-on-Precinct-13 remake, but a fresh take on this familiar stage.
It's not a deep psychological thriller, nor a triple-A action movie, not a baffling new take on known cliches.
But what it is, is: entertaining. No boredom, no groan-worthy plot holes; a pinch of over-the-top action added to good acting, with the plot a good mix of known and new elements, so it doesn't feel worn out. Solid direction and production values.
It's not a must-see; but for pure entertainment, I definitely recommend it.
In loads of old westerns, the sheriff would ask you to leave your guns at the door - well, this requires you to do that with your brain. If you try to study it in any sort of detail, then the plot holes will sing far more loudly than Aretha Franklin (or Jennifer Hudson) could ever hope to do. If you do, though, then it is quite an efficient little shoot-em up that sees wily old Gerard Butler ("Viddick") and his prey "Murretto" (Frank Grillo) engaged in a life or death siege inside a police station with only the rookie "Valerie" (Alexis Louder) and an armour plated door between them and the mad as cheese "Lamb" (Toby Huss). Why are we in this mess? Well that becomes evident pretty quickly and as the film gathers steam, the tension builds and the last fifteen minutes provide for quite a decently paced - if rather implausible - ending. Louder takes what plaudits there are from this, she actually turns in quite a decent performance. Otherwise, it's just a good excuse to sit back and watch as we really don't care if anyone survives - except, maybe, her...
