Review of Safe House (2012) by Robyn N — 09 Apr 2013

"Safe House" looks and feels like a thousand other similar movies, and does nothing but tread water in the genre. "Safe House" is an overlong, underwhelming generic spy thriller. There are car chases, double-crosses, prolonged fight sequences--all of which add up to very little. The pacing is uneven, the frenetic action is rarely suspenseful, and it drags out to an improbable conclusion.

"Safe House" has an A-list cast, but can't compensate for a weak story line that doesn't deliver anything substantial. Ryan Reynolds gives a fine performance, but others are simply going through the motions for purposes of refreshing their bank accounts. Denzel could play this role in his sleep, and at times, he appears he is doing just that. "Safe House" tries to be a little different by not transforming into a buddy film. No warmth is evident between Frost and Weston, who remain adversaries almost to the end. Some sort of relationship, however, might have been preferable.