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Released on January 13, 2012, this smuggling-based action thriller grossed three times it's estimated
30-million dollar budget, despite being entirely unimpressive. Living peacefully in New Orleans
with his family, Mark Wahlberg stars as an ex-smuggler who is forced into doing one more
big contraband run to settle a debt a deranged killer, Giovanni Ribisi, has put against his
brother-in-law. Despite being rather formulaic and unoriginal, there are still a few fun
twists and plot-turns in this 110-minute heist-style caper. Wahlberg is a likable protagonist,
and does a great job with his limited material, but honestly - the character isn't anything
special, and like most of the film, is mostly forgettable. As Wahlberg's wife, the gorgeous
Kate Beckinsale is given even less to do: spending most of her time on screen fending
off brutish attacks from debt-collectors. The one person with a tinge of character-arc
is the suspicious family friend, played devilishly by Ben Foster. Early in this film, the fast-paced
dialogue is often hard to understand, and coupled with a severe lack of exposition,
makes the first-act a rather confusing one. When Wahlberg first boards the slow-boat to
Panama for example, he is noticed by the Captain, and immediately demoted to janitor: but without
context or explanation, this scene carries zero tension: it's impossible to tell if this
job-change even affects the characters, positively, or negatively. Some outlandish developments
and questionably motivations riddle the next-act, but luckily, some competent sequences filled
with copious amounts of dramatic irony late in the film pick up the slack. While this
film never approaches true levels of suspense, it is a decently shot, and interesting adventure
through the mysterious and dangerous world of international smuggling - with some fun
action scenes to boot. The very definition of an average movie, this is an unchallenging
and safe way to spend two hours of your time. "Contraband", a "Generic heists with forgettable
thrills". Well, that's my review: now let's see what you had to say in the YouTube comments.
Here's the rate-o-matic with our scores for "Contraband": a FIVE and a SIX. Although not
hugely popular, those that reviewed this movie were not impressed -- but you were swayed
enough by the action scenes and Marky Mark to give this movie a "Good" rating. In 12-months
time, it's doubtful I'll remember much of this film, but from moment to moment, it's
a capable, and entertaining film but it sadly doesn't do enough to really stand out. I thought
it was "Alright".