[6.75/10] Haywire (2012)

Haywire (2012)

Brief review: After last year's hugely underrated gem, "Contagion", Steven Soderbergh brings us his latest project "Haywire" - a fast-paced and finely-crafted spy thriller, that despite some overused plot cliches, still engages with its well-structured storyline, spot-on execution and thrilling action scenes. Although "Haywire" is a bit ordinary in terms of aesthetics, Soderbergh's distinctive visual style is still recognizable, plus, the film impresses with nice variety of settings, including Barcelona, Dublin and New Mexico. There is no intense music or loud sound effects during the action scenes, but that doesn't make them less exciting. The fights themselves are realistic, well-shot and brutal as hell, and contrast well with the funky and absolutely mesmerizing original score by David Holmes. Newcomer Gina Carano is by no means a great actress, but she nevertheless delivers a believable, down-to-earth portrayal as the young and feisty female spy, Mallory. Behind her cute Britney Spears-like face and sexy curvy body, she hides a strong powerful woman with big brains and incredible skills. Since the main focus throughout the film is on Mallory, none of the other A-list actors really shine. Having said that, all the supporting cast including Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Michael Angarano and Channing Tatum do a solid job despite their extremely limited screen time.

Overall summary: While certainly not one of Soderbergh's strongest and most memorable films, "Haywire" still works in a simple but very effective way, thanks to its sharp, well-written script, excellent ensemble cast, and straight and clear, yet somewhat stylish direction.