Mallory Kane is a paid operative--an agent who is one of the best in the business. However, when the film begins, someone she thinks is a friend tries to kill her--and the action doesn't stop there. But why are all these folks shooting at her? Who is behind it? All this is for Mallory to discover...if she manages to survive.

"Haywire" is an amazing film. After all, it stars a relatively unknown actress (Gina Carano) and yet is make by one of the top directors and features cameos from some top stars. Clearly, they feel Ms. Carano can be a top star herself--and I strongly agree. However, I do not agree that this is a great showcase for her. While it's a good film, it has one huge problem--a confusing plot that you really don't need! Her latest film, "In the Blood" has a much simpler plot and allows the real star of the movie to shine--Carano's INSANE fighting skills! Her MMA and Muay Thai training clearly are seen in both films--and she makes Van Damme and the other male action stars look like pansies. She does all the stunts, she gets tossed around like a rag doll and she probably has a lot of bruises to show for it! But, she also has some amazing films-- filled with intense action and which will get your adrenalin pumping.

The problems with HAYWIRE can be laid firmly at the door of director Steven Soderbergh, who is entirely unsuited to directing what should be a pulse-pounding thriller. Soderbergh's light 'n' breezy, art-house-style direction is at odds with the kind of gritty, realistic, down 'n' dirty vibes he's aiming for here, and the result is an oddly unrewarding movie that goes through the motions, ticks all of the boxes, and yet fails to make any impact on the viewer whatsoever. Although it looks good, it turns out to be a hollow, slightly soulless exercise in movie-making.

The good thing about HAYWIRE are the martial arts scenes: they're very well filmed, highly exciting and utilise to full advantage the skills of real-life mixed martial arts fighter and lead Gina Carano. Having recently rewatched the BOURNE trilogy (in preparation for the upcoming BOURNE LEGACY),I can acknowledge they're the equal of anything in those movies. However, it's the long, slow passages in-between the action that really cause this film to stall. Soderbergh shoots them in his usual way, with jazzy music playing in the background and subdued, quick-fire dialogue, and while that worked in the likes of THE LIMEY and OCEAN'S ELEVEN, it just doesn't here.

The whole exercise feels artificial, and you get the impression that Soderbergh is trying too hard. There's no palpable tension, no sense of build-up, no suspense about what's going to happen to the protagonist. In fact, it's all rather boring, and you're left itching for the next fight scene to take place. Compare this with THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, in which I was on the edge of my seat during the non-action bits, caught up in an involved conspiracy storyline, unable to wait to find out what was going to happen next. HAYWIRE flatlines between the martial arts antics.

The script doesn't help; it's on the level of the average Seagal DTV actioner, and makes some truly odd decisions (like highly skilled/unbeatable agent Carano telling her life story in flashback to a random stranger throughout the course of the film – far better to have adopted a linear structure and just begun at the beginning instead of this wannabe clever-clever stuff). There are other pluses: the cast is faultless, and Soderbergh even elicits a rather effective performance from walking muscle Channing Tatum. But some of the seasoned performers are underutilised: Douglas, Banderas and Paxton are given little to work with, and Ewan McGregor is miscast in a wishy-washy role.

Gina Carano is spectacular in her fight scenes. The storyline is a bit jumbled and murky. Not sure what else to say about his movie: it's not the worst thing I've ever watched. Much better than, let's say, Hateful 8.