Movie Reviews: "Contraband"

[JamesG]

Movie Reviews: Contraband


Critics are divided almost equally about the merits of Contraband, the new thriller starring Mark Wahlberg as a retired smuggler forced to return to his old business again.





On the one hand, there’s Roger Ebert who dismisses the movie as “crap” in his review in the Chicago Sun-Times.



On the other hand, there’s Joe Morgenstern who refers to it as “a thoroughly satisfying entertainment” in his review in the Wall Street Journal.





In her review in the New York Times, Manohla Dargis agrees with those critics who regard the plot as absurd.

However, she remarks, “the story doesn’t matter. … If anything, the film’s adherence to implausibility as a defining narrative principle … is part of its low-key kick.”





Likewise, Wesley Morris writes in the Boston Globe:

“I don’t know that a lot of Contraband makes sense, but I’m not sure that it has to.. The director Baltasar Kormákur carries the movie off with efficiency, brutality, and humor.”





Mick Lasalle puts it this way in the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Let’s start by admitting three things: that Contraband is a ridiculous movie, that it wasn’t meant to be a ridiculous movie, and that it’s an enjoyable movie.

One of the things that makes it enjoyable is that it’s so ridiculous.”





Steven Rea in the Philadelphia Inquirer remarks that Mark Wahlberg’s performance is:

“a big comedown from The Fighter. Wahlberg can do a character like the smuggler without even thinking about it — and that’s what he does here.”





In the New York Post, Kyle Smith echoes that appraisal.

“Contraband aims to be dumb fun but gets only the first half right.”





Betsy Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times calls the film:

“an action-junkie’s playground. Wahlberg is an actor that has a natural guy’s guy chemistry with, well, guys, and a back-burner sexuality with women that can be turned up fast.”





Linda Barnard in the Toronto Star has this advice for ticket buyers:

“Just eat your popcorn and don’t ask questions and Contraband will help pass a chilly winter night.”

-IMDB News

[isiahthomas]

I'm gonna see this next weekend if it doesn't snow. I'm surprised the weather has been nice lately because Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC usually has snow by now. It did snow a few days ago but it melted the next day.

[JamesG]

I also plan on seeing this, but I think I'm gonna wait for video. It doesn't strike me as a movie that's worth "going out to see".

Yeah, except for a little snow right before Halloween, we didn't get any snow around here at all. Around this time last year we had a big blizzard and the snow wasn't completely melted until Spring.

[Reverend Jim]

[isiahthomas]

I don't know why Mark doesn't do more action movies because he's good at doing action films. I loved his Four Brothers movie. I bought it on dvd. I also saw his We Own The Night and The Big Hit movies. We Own The Night was kinda disappointing but The Big Hit is real good. Shooter movie he did with Danny Glover i liked. He also did The Corruptor with Chow Yun Fat and that was alright. LOL@his Boogie Nights movie hahahahahahahahahahahaha. That movie was wild. I love Julianne Moore who was in that with him. Fear movie he did was also good. He was crazy in that. I'm glad he decided to become a actor after his rap career didn't work when he was Marky Mark LOL. I like his Good Vibrations and Wildside songs on his first album. His brother Donnie is a good actor also. I liked him in Righteous Kill movie with Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, rapper 50 Cent. I'm gonna see Contraband next weekend if it doesn't snow. I read at another website that Mark wanted to do a sequel to Four Brothers and i hope it happens because i love Four Brothers.

[isiahthomas]

I saw Contraband and i was disappointed. Wasn't as much action as i expected.