HOMEFRONT Blu-ray Review
Whenever you go into a Jason Statham movie you can always expect three things. Statham is always able to turn various items around him into deadly weapons, he will always have an English accent no matter where his character is from, and he will always kick some ass. Homefront is no exception to these rules. It is actually one Statham’s better solo outings as of late. If he’s not making a sequel to The Transporter, The Mechanic or Crank, I prefer seeing him as a supporting actor in films like The Expendables and Killer Elite.
Homefront is available on Blu-ray and DVD this week from Universal Studios. Directed by Gary Fleder, the action thriller stars James Franco, Rachelle Lefevre, Winona Ryder, Frank Grillo, and Kate Bosworth. The film follows a former DEA agent Phil Broker (Statham) who moves his daughter to a quiet town. On the surface, the town looks like an idyllic place for Broker and his daughter to start a home but it is full of drugs and violence. Through a random chain of events, Broker is forced to face off agains a local meth druglord Gator Bodine (Franco).
One thing bad guys need to learn is to never mess with someones family. However if villains did audiences would never be treated to Jason Statham movies. Homefront is not his best film by a long shot, nor is it his worst. The good news is this is one action flick you can easily convince your significant other to watch with you because of the cute daughter and father-daughter relationship. Sylvester Stallone wrote the story, which has a strong premise. The major downside for the plot is that so much is crammed into the film in a short amount of time. The plot is rather boring at times. Some of the best moments are at the beginning despite Statham having one of the worst wig jobs I’ve seen and the final scenes of the film. The biker gang aspect was a saving grace for me, but I would have much rather seen more action, a bit more of Frank Grillo and more character development overall.
I guess Felder thought it might be best not to do this since Franco is completely miscast as a druglord. He is great at playing wacky characters, but should never be cast as a menacing person. I kept thinking to myself that he would not survive a second against Statham’s character. Like many villains, Gator uses his minions to do his fighting for him. This doesn’t mean that he and Broker don’t face off. Just be prepared to be underwhelmed when this happens.
The best performances in Homefront come from Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth who both play junkies. Ryder’s character is Gator’s love interest while Bosworth plays Gator’s sister who he continues to feed her meth habit. Homefront may not be action-packed, but it does have a decent story and some unique characters. Just don’t expect Franco to be menacing whatsoever.
Homefront is presented in 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround, and features a series of Deleted Scenes. You can buy the Blu-ray today on Amazon.
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