Survivor is a mash-up of other movies that did it better

Movie:    Survivor

PG-13, 1 hour 36 minutes

Grade:  C

In a Nutshell:   Not particularly great, nor terrible, this international thriller is a mash-up of movies you probably really enjoyed, like: The Bourne Identity , Salt , and The Fugitive .  I think it’s safe to say we love watching Milla Jovovich play a tough girl, preferably with a Russian accent.  In this action flick, however, she plays an American Foreign Service Officer who gets mixed up in a terrorist plot that makes her look guilty.  Unfortunately, she doesn’t have Jason Bourne’s cool skills or the super-babe, kick-butt grit that her character has in the Resident Evil franchise. 

By the way, if YOU want to learn some of those skills, my son teaches them in a class you probably learned about in the TV show "Shark Tank" or "Rachel Ray".  Check out his classes at www.SpyEscapePhoenix.com

Still, the movie is mildly entertaining, but only worth renting on DVD when it comes out if there’s nothing better on.  The movie informs us that since 9/11, American Law Enforcement has stopped 53 terrorist attacks in New York alone. 

Uplifting Theme:

·         A job is where you go to work to make money.  A career is a lifetime passion where you get paid to make a difference in the world.

·         Don’t mess with America.

Things I liked:

·         The cast is filled with great names that should make for a great movie: Dylan McDermott, Milla Jovovich, Angela Bassett, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Forester.  Unfortunately, most of their talents are wasted on a script that doesn’t truly let them blossom.

·         Great aerial shots of London and New York.

·         It was kind of interesting to learn a little bit more about how they screen travelers in and out of countries.

Things I didn’t like:

·         It’s pretty predictable with nothing very original to add to the “I’m not guilty so I better hide and figure out what’s really going on” genre.

·         Pierce Brosnon looks old and tired.  In the movie, Sam Parker (played by the handsome Dylan McDermott) explains “He’s had so much reconstructive surgery, no one knows the he## what he looks like.”  Ha ha

·         It’s a little slow-moving in the beginning.

·         For the “world’s deadliest assassin”, Nash (Pierce Brosnan) sure misses a lot of his shots.

·         It’s always New York City….

·         “I have been waiting 10 years for this moment to see the Americans pay for what they have done.”  - bad guy (NO spoiler alert)   Pretty cliché, right?

·         I never saw a trailer or billboards or poster for this movie before opening day.  It has had such little advertisement that it will probably come and go without most people even noticing.

      It's kind of annoying how Angela Bassett's character continuously makes the wrong decision EVERY time. 

·         Funny lines:

·         “Geez, you look how I feel.” –  Sally (played by Frances de la Tour)  We most recently saw her play the giant in Into the Woods and a visiting headmistress in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Interesting lines:

·         “Fortunes are made when there’s blood on the streets.” – Nash

Tips for Parents:

·         Pierce Brosnan is the one to utter the only F-bomb in the movie.  There are a few other  moments of profanity, most often coming out of his mouth.

·         There is violence and a body count.