Movie Review: Haywire

Synopsis: A black ops super soldier (Gina Carano) seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.

Let's get one thing straight first... I think Gina is smoking hot. The fact that she kicks the crap out of everybody in this movie and it all seems perfectly realistic does nothing to not make me think she's still smoking hot. In fact possibly just the opposite. But on to the movie itself.

Steven Soderbergh has loaded this film with a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton and Michael Douglas. That's almost too much really. None have large parts in the film, only Carano really is the focus. That's a bit of a negative really with all that under-used talent and a focus on a relative unknown and rookie. She does well enough though. Not spectacular acting on her part, but believable.

He acting weaknesses are really hidden by her action parts though. She's ass-kicking on a regular basis here. This film is full of chases and fights and shoot-outs and she's great. The fight scenes are particularly well-choreographed and shot I thought. There's some martial arts involved and I have a feeling she actually hurt some of the guys during filming it looks so good. This isn't Angelina Jolie trying to make us think she knocked a man out with one punch (see Salt and Wanted), this is Gina f'n Carano slamming him down and choking him out with her thighs as muscular and big as Angelina's waist.

As for the plot, it's a pretty straight-forward, simple revenge thriller that's been done-to-death. Nothing more, nothing less. It feels like parts were written especially to get some of the supporting actors in the film almost. You've seen it before, you know the twist, you know the ending.

Overall it's fun, stylish, full of action, full of Carano... and not much else. Good, not great. Would it have killed Sodenbergh to put in 1 bikini scene? I think not.

6.5/10