"The Foreigner" Action Thriller Worth Seeing! - Movie Review and Spoilers
Synopsis: A humble businessman with a buried past seeks justice when his daughter is killed in the act of terrorism. A cat-and-mouse conflict ensues with a government official, whose history may hold clues to the killers' identities.
Review: "The Foreigner" is a gripping and relevant action thriller directed by a master of the smart action genre, Martin Campbell (Casino Royale and Goldeneye.) Justice, retribution, and redemption are at the heart if this provocative story of two men whose hidden pasts explode in the present. The film marks a blazing return to the screen by Jackie Chan (the Rush Hour trilogy, Skiptrace) and Pierce Brosnan (Tomorrow Never Dies, The November Man), two actors in roles that take full advantage of and build upon their legendary star status.
The film tells the story of a humble, London restaurant owner Quan (Chan), whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love – his 15-year-old daughter – is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism. As he searches for the people responsible, he seeks the assistance of Irish Deputy Minister, Liam Hennessy (Brosnan), an ill-fitting government official whose own troubled history comes to bear down on him. As Quan enters into a game of political cat-and-mouse with Hennesy, both men must confront their pasts as they try to identify the elusive killers.
"This film is about settling your demons," says producer Scott Lumpkin. "It is about justice. It is about paying the price for what you do. Quan is wrestling with tragedies in his past. He is wrestling with his history, and he has had enough. He is ready. It is time to pay back those that have done wrong for everyone. And that is really what this film is about." The characters portrayed by Chan and Brosnan are exciting examples of the complexities of living in a global society where belief can become action without empathic consideration of consequence.
From start to finish, "The Foreigner" is an action thriller that at first gave us the "Taken" vibe but, it is fresh and exhilarating. Jackie Chan is best known for playing the role of a funny guy, and on the red carpet for his new film, he admitted to feeling somewhat nervous on how the audience would perceive him. Would he be believable? Will viewers truly believe the pain he was trying to bring to the big screen? The answer is simply, yes. Chan put his all into his character and the film as producer of "The Foreigner." His ultimate fighting style in the film shows that after all these years, Chan still got it, and he will forever remain a legend in the eyes of many.
The movie had a great deal of action that intensifies, tensions that escalate, alliances that shift, and secrets that at first were confusing and are later revealed. "The Foreigner" is a solid thriller and is worth checking out if you are a fan of Jackie Chan or Pierce Brosnan. "The Foreigner" is in theaters everywhere, October 13.
During the Los Angeles premiere of Jackie Chan's new film "The Foreigner," cast and crew spoke with THAheadline about the process of "The Foreigner" on and off the set. Check out our exclusive interviews below and included is a trailer. Rotten Tomatoes Current Score: 58%
THAheadline Score (THAscore): 8/10