Jason Statham is in this movie. This was released two years after Transporter, but I'm betting the actual contracts had been signed and even filming had started before that movie came out and made Statham a hot commodity. As a result, his character in this movie is as a bad guy who is essentially the lead muscle, but he's fairly throw away. Even the characteristic fighting style that he has isn't really let off the chain at any point. He is, however, featured prominently on some of the movie posters.
This movie isn't about Jason or even about fighting. Nope. It's not about fighting even though Chris Evans (you may remember him from Captain America) is running around the whole time, struggling to get help to save the damsel in distress. Kim Basinger is the aforementioned damsel, and she doesn't do much aside from look scared and talk in a quivering voice.
Jason takes the woman as leverage against her husband who has done some bad things. He locks her in an attic, and she tries to figure out how to get help. She manages to piece together a phone and randomly dial someone. That someone is Chris Evans, and he reluctantly agrees to help her out. There are a few instances where the vague nature of public understanding of how cellphones work (and these are analog, too) comes into play, but it's just to add a bit more drama to the scenes. I would call them chase scenes, but time is really the deciding factor in most of the dramatic tension.
William H. Macy comes in as the cop manning the front desk who doesn't have time to deal with Chris and his cell phone when he comes in, but he has enough dedication to duty that he follows up with it. As a result, he winds up entangled in the race against the clock and trying desperately to find Chris to figure out what's going on and help the poor woman on the other end of the phone.
As thrillers go, this is a good enough one. Everything is pretty obvious right from the get-go (including the supposed twist) but the world isn't always about figuring out the twists and turns in the story. Sometimes, it's just hopping on board a train and enjoying the wild ride. This movie has the same tropes as every other action/thriller with people making stupid decisions and coincidences changing everything all at once.
Acting was good
Story was implausible but okay
Dialogue was good
Direction was good
Cinematography was okay
Bottom Line: A fun movie, but not an enthralling one.
2.75/5