Review of The Foreigner (2017) by Trina B — 20 Oct 2017

Grade: B+.

Rating: R, 1 hour 54 minutes.

In a Nutshell: Americans love movies. And Jackie Chan. We love watching him perform incredible stunts and fight sequences, mixed with humor and fun. This isn't that kind of movie.

I was surprised at how much of a political thriller this movie was and how good of a dramatic actor Jackie Chan is. It's impressive how he can create such a relatable "every man" character while still having almost superhuman fighting skills.

The movie is based on The Foreigner: previously published as The Chinaman.

Uplifting theme:

Revenge.

Family.

"Never push a good man too far.".

Things I liked:

If you loved the first Rambo movie Rambo: First Blood where he hides and kills people in sneaky ways, you'll get a kick out of some of the things Jackie Chan's character does in this flick. It also has a Liam Neeson Taken movie feel to it, as Jackie Chan's character is completely driven by the love he has for his daughter.

Pierce Brosnan does an excellent job playing a complex character. His Irish accent sounds pretty authentic too.

Things I didn't like:

I expected more humor, since it's a Jackie Chan movie, but this movie was very much a drama.

The mixture of Jackie Chan action and political thriller created an uneven film. Surprisingly, he's not in as much of the movie as you would think he would be.

This has nothing to do with the 2003 Steven Seagal movie called The Foreigner. It seems like they should have selected a different name for the movie.

Tips for parents:

Bloody car bomb and lots of explosions. LOTS of bombs.

Lots of death and dead bodies.

Lots of violence. Um....it's a Jackie Chan movie!

Profanity, including some F-bombs.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM.

@trinaboice.