Review: Safe
Crime drama was not a genre that interested me until Luc Besson's 1994 Leon: The Professional, when I was lured in by the development of the quasi-paternal relationship of killer Leon and young girl Mathilda. Their relationship added another dimension to this genre for me, and since then I'm more inclined to view these often ultra-violent films that I might have previously avoided.
Reminiscent of The Professional, the crime thriller Safe opens in theaters this weekend and stars Jason Statham as Luke Wright, an ex-cage fighter with a mysterious past. Admittedly, all it takes to pique my interest in an action movie nowadays is the name Jason Statham thanks to his beefy role in the Transporter franchise.
However, within the first few scenes it is obvious that there are two stars of this film -- Catherine Chan in her feature debut as Mei has as much if not more screen time than Statham. Writer and director Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans, Fresh) takes a risk depending less on Statham's star power and more on young newcomer Chan in her own scenes, as well as the convergence of two subplots connecting the unlikely companions Luke and Mei.
Safe begins with the story of Mei, a young mathematical genius with a photographic memory who is able to remember long sequences of numbers. After a classmate brags to her father about Mei's abilities, she is kidnapped by Triad boss Han Jiao (James Hong) and sent to New York City with criminal Quan Chang (Reggie Lee) as her foster father to aid the Triads in their crime syndicate business. After being given a priceless numerical code, Mei is caught up in a war between the Triads and the Russian mob, with corrupt cops who play both sides of the war.
As Mei is dealing with her own survival, Luke Wright (Statham) is also struggling to exist. His life was destroyed by the Russian mob after he accidentally won a cage fight that he was paid to throw, permanently injuring his opponent. As payback, the Russians killed his pregnant wife but left him alive to suffer, promising to kill anyone who befriends him. Soon Luke crosses paths with Mei as she flees the Triads, Russians and the corrupt NYC police officers, leaving only Luke to protect her.
From the opening scenes, Safe is a dynamic fast-paced vehicle barreling along. The fight choreography as well as foot and car chases are well orchestrated, and the cinematography and art direction thoroughly portray a dark and dirty side of New York. The character development of both Mei and Luke plays out well, as does that of the villians Jiao and Chang as well as Mayor Tremello, portrayed with just the right dastardliness by Chris Sarandon. Yakin's direction draws out solid performances from his lead actors as well as supporting actors. Young actress Chan definitely has a promising future ahead in film.
Safe has some significant flaws in the writing, relying too much on exposition of backstories through dialogue throughout the entire movie. At the same time, the subplot of two sequence of numbers for different safes as well as the complexity of the Triad and Russian crime syndicates is complicated enough that I lost the plot a few times. However, final scenes of this film will catch viewers off-guard enough to redeem the weaknesses in the writing.
Safe doesn't reach the bar set by The Professional, but is adequate enough to please fans of the crime drama and action film genres. Keep in mind that child star Chan does not equate to "family movie" -- this MPAA rated "R" film is definitely not for younger viewers due to strong violence and intense scenes.