Review of Redemption (2014) by Dave R — 11 Jan 2014

"Redemption" is not completely what you'd expect from Jason Statham. A man that basically has his own brand of action films, Statham steps into a much more dramatic role as Smith, an AWOL Special Forces soldier that has taken to the streets of London, living homeless to avoid being detected.

After a young homeless girl is taken into a prostitution ring and winds up dead, Smith finds himself squatting in a traveling man's apartment, taking his clothes and his nice car, and finding work as a crony for crime syndicate in London, searching for the young homeless girl's killers.

Building a relationship with a faltering nun named Cristina (Agata Buzek), the girth of the dialogue comes from their back and forth as they question their's and each others' decisions in life.

Still showing hints of his action background with a limited number of fight scenes, Statham sticks to a more visceral type of acting that we don't see quite enough of throughout his career. However, sticking to the basics of storytelling, "Redemption" never quite rises above being a showcase for Statham and what could have been an interesting, neon infused exploration of the London underworld falls on the shoulders of a man who never quite carries it beyond average.