By Nadia Ranaputri
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael McElhatton, Liu Tao, Charlie Murphy, Katie Leung.
Having a similar kind of revenge story as this year's American Assassin, The Foreigner takes what American Assassin lacks and elevates it a little more than what the previous film did, once you overlook a couple of its flaws.
Based on Stephen Leather's novel The Chinaman, The Foreigner is a story about Quan, a former special forces operative who loses his daughter in a terrorist attack. Desperate to find the group behind the attack, and with no help from government officials, Quan takes it upon himself to seek revenge for the death of his daughter.
Jackie Chan, a known master of stunts in the acting world, lays his comedic chops aside for a more serious role that no doubt, takes him on another level. When Chan's Quan loses his daughter, his sadness and desperation becomes a wicked tour de force that easily seeps through the screen. It's a hard-hitting moment when Quan is overcome with grief from his daughter's death, and becomes a driving force for Quan to eventually take revenge upon the people behind the attack. Chan manages to hold his parts splendidly, albeit some slips to when his Quan returns to his former assassin-like demeanor that on some parts, aren't as engaging as the film goes on.
Pierce Brosnan as politician Hennessy, however you want to put it, is neither a bad guy or a good guy. When Quan confronts him to the point where his assassin-self awakens in order to find answers, Brosnan's Hennessy becomes distressed with having to deal with a father who's revealed to be a former special force member, and even his constant pleas for Quan to drop the subject makes a blurred line between which of his actions are for the greater good, and which one is the complete opposite. Brosnan's performance is a fine one, but is watered down by the script, the arc that his character has to follow throughout the film.
The film itself however, is a different kind of story. While Chan's performance elevates what could have been an utter mess of a convoluted film, the film is pretty much guilty of relying on a couple of action-film tropes: a staggering mess of intervention from local authorities, government, and a plot twist involving someone from the side of the law that anyone could see from a mile away, you name it. What's more, whilst The Foreigner might be seen as Quan's story, it is also Brosnan's. There's a cat and mouse chase that goes around between Quan and Brosnan's Hennessy, which the film really should have left the story at that; and a whole other array of complications. Not to say that it's a complete mess, but it's too focused on making its plot as complicated as possible, when really, it should have settled for a simpler execution. What we're left with is a tangled mess of interweaving plot points that either make no sense or serve no point for the story.
What makes up for the film's lack in its story, is eventually the action that brings the most out of the film. Unlike Blade Runner 2049, marketed as a sci-fi action flick, but is eventually something deeper with minimal action; The Foreigner packs in plenty of punches, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of the film's best aspects, because it is, especially when it's Jackie Chan that's doing the action. Chan is known for doing his own stunts and is at his best once he fights. He's up for the job and he does it superbly, proving his worth once again with an equally strong performance. The action is brilliantly choreographed, and while it doesn't break barriers, it's still something to behold. Moreover, it strays from one of the worst tropes in an action film: shaky cam, if done the wrong way. While The Foreigner utilizes a couple of handheld shots, it does at times use shaky cam the same way the Bourne series does: shaky, but doesn't intervene much with the action that ensues; except for how some of its scenes were transitioned.
The Foreigner is no Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. For the most part, it doesn't overuse its action film tropes the way the last Resident Evil installment did with its horror tropes, despite seemingly steering towards that particular direction and even falling into it at times. The Foreigner has its share of fun and sense of engagement in its action to make up for the film's faltering execution in its story. It's watchable, to say the least, once you overlook the story and settle for its action-filled ride and great performances.
Stars: 3/5
Trailer
 | |
| Image source: IMDB |
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael McElhatton, Liu Tao, Charlie Murphy, Katie Leung.
Having a similar kind of revenge story as this year's American Assassin, The Foreigner takes what American Assassin lacks and elevates it a little more than what the previous film did, once you overlook a couple of its flaws.
Based on Stephen Leather's novel The Chinaman, The Foreigner is a story about Quan, a former special forces operative who loses his daughter in a terrorist attack. Desperate to find the group behind the attack, and with no help from government officials, Quan takes it upon himself to seek revenge for the death of his daughter.
Jackie Chan, a known master of stunts in the acting world, lays his comedic chops aside for a more serious role that no doubt, takes him on another level. When Chan's Quan loses his daughter, his sadness and desperation becomes a wicked tour de force that easily seeps through the screen. It's a hard-hitting moment when Quan is overcome with grief from his daughter's death, and becomes a driving force for Quan to eventually take revenge upon the people behind the attack. Chan manages to hold his parts splendidly, albeit some slips to when his Quan returns to his former assassin-like demeanor that on some parts, aren't as engaging as the film goes on.
Pierce Brosnan as politician Hennessy, however you want to put it, is neither a bad guy or a good guy. When Quan confronts him to the point where his assassin-self awakens in order to find answers, Brosnan's Hennessy becomes distressed with having to deal with a father who's revealed to be a former special force member, and even his constant pleas for Quan to drop the subject makes a blurred line between which of his actions are for the greater good, and which one is the complete opposite. Brosnan's performance is a fine one, but is watered down by the script, the arc that his character has to follow throughout the film.
 |
| Image source: IMDB |
The film itself however, is a different kind of story. While Chan's performance elevates what could have been an utter mess of a convoluted film, the film is pretty much guilty of relying on a couple of action-film tropes: a staggering mess of intervention from local authorities, government, and a plot twist involving someone from the side of the law that anyone could see from a mile away, you name it. What's more, whilst The Foreigner might be seen as Quan's story, it is also Brosnan's. There's a cat and mouse chase that goes around between Quan and Brosnan's Hennessy, which the film really should have left the story at that; and a whole other array of complications. Not to say that it's a complete mess, but it's too focused on making its plot as complicated as possible, when really, it should have settled for a simpler execution. What we're left with is a tangled mess of interweaving plot points that either make no sense or serve no point for the story.
What makes up for the film's lack in its story, is eventually the action that brings the most out of the film. Unlike Blade Runner 2049, marketed as a sci-fi action flick, but is eventually something deeper with minimal action; The Foreigner packs in plenty of punches, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of the film's best aspects, because it is, especially when it's Jackie Chan that's doing the action. Chan is known for doing his own stunts and is at his best once he fights. He's up for the job and he does it superbly, proving his worth once again with an equally strong performance. The action is brilliantly choreographed, and while it doesn't break barriers, it's still something to behold. Moreover, it strays from one of the worst tropes in an action film: shaky cam, if done the wrong way. While The Foreigner utilizes a couple of handheld shots, it does at times use shaky cam the same way the Bourne series does: shaky, but doesn't intervene much with the action that ensues; except for how some of its scenes were transitioned.
 |
| Image source: JoBlo.com |
The Foreigner is no Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. For the most part, it doesn't overuse its action film tropes the way the last Resident Evil installment did with its horror tropes, despite seemingly steering towards that particular direction and even falling into it at times. The Foreigner has its share of fun and sense of engagement in its action to make up for the film's faltering execution in its story. It's watchable, to say the least, once you overlook the story and settle for its action-filled ride and great performances.
Stars: 3/5
Trailer
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