22 October 2017. This Die Hard (1988) wannabe strays into dangerous territory in how seriously dramatic it descends. It's tone becomes darker as contemporary action movies seem to have become in general nowadays. The movie starts with a hard-hitting road battle the likes of Clear and Present Danger (1994). However whether the entertainment value goes up with this type of action thriller genre, does it reach a delicate balance between intense suspense along with heroic exhilaration or result in more disappointment, frustration in the dramatic outcomes that occur as the storyline progresses? Security almost plays out, even if it might reflect more of a rational outcome, more like a typical horror movie, with the human assassins playing the role of monsters. Think From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Instead of using the Die Hard story formula, Security tries too hard to expand on the drama and torturous action experience, including probably the inclusion of unrealistically too many bad guys. Psychologically, the audience attachment and connection to the characters to the movie becomes fewer and fewer and a sense of frustration and disappointment increase. This movie is pretty much run of the mill action thriller that proceeds towards a rather predictable and over rather the top dramatic climax. What makes this movie a bit different is the precarious performance of the Mall boss who is both quite irritating, irascible yet somehow engaging with a good heart as well as a rather tender last few scenes. So instead of a six, this movie might be grudgingly a seven. [12/14/2018: After a second viewing, Security holds up much better and the consequential deaths don't appear to be that overly simplistic or unrealistic as first thought. The set up and the subsequent action scenes play out well. The pacing is good and the defensive actions are nicely thought up and carried through. A "solid" seven out of ten stars.] Like Die Hard, this movie apparently has repeated entertainment viewing value. The martial and lethal shooting scenes are reasonably well done, close but never actually going over the top. Even Ben Kingsley's poignant life story and later offer is quite tempting in some ways. The last few scenes of the movie are also unusually extended for most movies of this genre but in a nice, soft concluding way. Therefore, this movie is a continuing strong seven out of ten. [2/1/2019]. 7/10.

SECURITY is another film which feels like HOME ALONE for adult viewers. It's not as good as the likes of THE AGGRESSION SCALE or any of the movies which influenced it, and for much of the running time I was put off by the obvious inexperience of the director, who has no idea how to shoot good action sequences. So it's something of a surprise that I still enjoyed this film regardless, more for its quirkiness than anything else.

The excellent Antonio Banderas plays a former soldier now working as a security guard at a vast shopping mall in the middle of nowhere (go figure). In a plot lifted from STRAW DOGS, he and his co-workers take in a young girl who is being pursued by a criminal gang headed by Ben Kingsley, whose laughable northern accent is all over the place. The scenes involving various traps being used to take out the bad guys are very enjoyable, although the hand-to-hand combat and shoot-outs less so. Still, Banderas and Kingsley are good value, as is movie brawler Cung Le, and the humour works pretty well. Watch out for Aussie star Liam McIntyre, unrecognisable from his SPARTACUS days.

Eddie (Antonio Banderas) is a vet with issues who takes a job as a night shift mall cop, a mall that needs 5 guys to protect an empty building. Eleven year old Jamie (Katherine de la Rocha) is being hunted by bad guys lead by Ben Kinsley (no surprise there) and looks to our unarmed mall cops to protect her against a small army with automatic weapons. Then we have Hollywood formula.

Banderas does not show his charisma in this film. The role seemed beneath him, yet I would rather see him than Calum Best or Cam Gigandet. Exploding cars, fight scenes sped up, hand to hand, knife play, gun play...and if you crash a vehicle through a door, why do you use the vehicle roof to climb to the top of the building? Nice scene, but seriously at that point, I'm strolling in through the door.

Guide: F-word, No sex or nudity.