LoginI wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for James McAvoy, I was quite eager to check it out. On top of that, the title did sound really cool. Well, the beginning was really promising with a kick-ass intro and I really enjoyed how they made this cop and this criminal follow their own investigation on the same murder case. However, if McAvoy managed to do a lot with his character, Mark Strong’s character felt eventually too limited. A bigger problem was that there were just too many supporting characters involved and, as a result, none of them was developed at all and they were all rather boring. Another huge mistake they made was that half way through the movie almost all the cops turned out to be corrupt. It was such a lame choice and, from this point, the whole thing seriously lost some steam and I kind of pretty much lost interest. To make things worse, the ending was even more tedious when, suddenly, it turned out that virtually all the characters were involved in some far-fetched conspiracy. Anyway, to conclude, even though the whole thing really had some potential, it turned out to be actually poorly developed but I still think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
Welcome to the Punch Reviews
An average movie
Posted : 5 years, 9 months ago on 27 July 2018 08:11
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"Welcome to the Punch" (2013)
Posted : 10 years, 8 months ago on 16 August 2013 12:05
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Former criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives Detective Max Lewinsky a second chance to take him down.
Wow, I've finally rented a 2013 release that I actually kind of liked! :) And I think a lot of that comes from the character of Jacob Sternwood. Not only does Mark Strong give an expectedly top-notch performance, but the character is cunning and ruthless, but sympathetic; he is trying to help his son, after all. I just love the scene at the hospital, where he finds a way to test the police's defences.
The film itself does a terrific job at playing detective and criminal against each other: how the criminal always manages to slip through the detective's fingers. But I think the second half is where it starts to lose its footing. The conspiracy ends up becoming a little too complicated, perhaps one too many people involved.
One major disappointment was Andrea Riseborough. She's a great actress – one of my favourites – so I couldn't help feeling that her character being in so little of the movie was kind of a waste of her talents.
Still, of all the movies I've rented so far this year (not counting Silver Linings Playbook), this is the first one that I actually feel inclined to buy. It does have its problems, but it at least has the makings of a solid action thriller.
My rating: 65%
Former criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives Detective Max Lewinsky a second chance to take him down.
Wow, I've finally rented a 2013 release that I actually kind of liked! :) And I think a lot of that comes from the character of Jacob Sternwood. Not only does Mark Strong give an expectedly top-notch performance, but the character is cunning and ruthless, but sympathetic; he is trying to help his son, after all. I just love the scene at the hospital, where he finds a way to test the police's defences.
The film itself does a terrific job at playing detective and criminal against each other: how the criminal always manages to slip through the detective's fingers. But I think the second half is where it starts to lose its footing. The conspiracy ends up becoming a little too complicated, perhaps one too many people involved.
One major disappointment was Andrea Riseborough. She's a great actress – one of my favourites – so I couldn't help feeling that her character being in so little of the movie was kind of a waste of her talents.
Still, of all the movies I've rented so far this year (not counting Silver Linings Playbook), this is the first one that I actually feel inclined to buy. It does have its problems, but it at least has the makings of a solid action thriller.
My rating: 65%
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