Eran Creevy has written and directed a fast-paced, desperately confusing film that is tough to decipher and in many ways scorns credibility. But if action packed dark thrillers fill the bill for you then WELCOME TO THE PUNCH certainly will. Just be prepared that a lot of the story begs indulgence until the very end.
The film opens in medias res with a robbery where one perpetrator Jacob Sternwood (the always reliable Mark Strong is a very sold portrayal) wounds eager detective Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy looking a bit scruffy with a wannabe beard) in the leg. Three years later the story begins. Now 'former criminal' Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son Ruan (the very handsome and sensitive and underused Elyes Gabel) is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky one last chance to catch the man he has always been after. His partner is a female version of Max - Sarah Hanks (Andrea Riseborough)- and the tow are under the leadership of detectives Thomas Geiger (David Morrissey) and Harvey Crown (Jason Flemyng). Events begin to change with eh entry of a new criminal Dean Warns (Johnny Harris) and his presence begins to open doors as to who is really a good guy and who is a bad guy. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy Jacob and Max both need to solve in order to survive.
The cast is uniformly fine, including the bit parts played by such actors as Daniel Kaluuya, Ruth Sheen, Daniel Mays and Dannielle Brent. The story involves good cop/bad cop, transformation of images, political snafus, and a lot of firepower. The plot is often too muddled to decipher but the action is fast and the acting is super.
Grady Harp
The film opens in medias res with a robbery where one perpetrator Jacob Sternwood (the always reliable Mark Strong is a very sold portrayal) wounds eager detective Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy looking a bit scruffy with a wannabe beard) in the leg. Three years later the story begins. Now 'former criminal' Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son Ruan (the very handsome and sensitive and underused Elyes Gabel) is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky one last chance to catch the man he has always been after. His partner is a female version of Max - Sarah Hanks (Andrea Riseborough)- and the tow are under the leadership of detectives Thomas Geiger (David Morrissey) and Harvey Crown (Jason Flemyng). Events begin to change with eh entry of a new criminal Dean Warns (Johnny Harris) and his presence begins to open doors as to who is really a good guy and who is a bad guy. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy Jacob and Max both need to solve in order to survive.
The cast is uniformly fine, including the bit parts played by such actors as Daniel Kaluuya, Ruth Sheen, Daniel Mays and Dannielle Brent. The story involves good cop/bad cop, transformation of images, political snafus, and a lot of firepower. The plot is often too muddled to decipher but the action is fast and the acting is super.
Grady Harp