Worse of all is that both plots are packed with wild coincidences, that if taken away each film would have fallen apart. Both must jump through hoops to protect a hot blonde they love. Both feature a tough guy forced into dangerous situations at the behest of a baddie. He was good in The Fighter, but how can anyone put him on a pedestal for it when the supporting cast stole the film from him? Just as Van Dam had Dolph Lundgren, Wahlberg can act circles around John Cena, whose 12 Rounds was likewise filmed in New Orleans.Ĭontraband is also similar in plot to 12 Rounds. The Bostonian Wahlberg is to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon what Jean Claude Van Dam is to Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Giovani Ribisi and Mark Wahlberg in Contrabandīecause Mark Wahlberg acted in a film in which others involved received award attention, Wahlberg is now at a lofty height in film making? Bullshit.
Mark wahlberg contraband movie#
There's not a lot to think about while watching it and we've seen some of this plot before in other films, but for a movie opening in January, it's actually pretty damn good. And sure, this isn't a part that's going to win him awards, but it seems silly to criticize him for making an action film. Ironically, Wahlberg's success as an actor has lead to complaints in some reviews that this part is a step backwards for him. A blonde Kate Beckinsale (Why'd ya do it Kate? As a brunette you are hawt, but as a blonde, not nearly as much) however, is under-used as the wife who is just there to be put in jeopardy. Simmons provides some comic relief as the Captain of the ship where Chris is doing the smuggling.
Ben Foster, who reminds me of a lesser Ryan Gosling, also does a good job as the best friend with a secret. He's not physically imposing, but he's so charged that you're never sure what he's going to do next. There's then a race to get the load back to the ship before it sails.Īlong with Wahlberg there are several standouts in the supporting cast. Chris's time in Panama, where he goes to pick up a large shipment of counterfeit money, features some of the best action as he's forced to partake in an armored car heist in exchange for the bills. The action scenes are plentiful and there are several moments of edge of your seat tension. The pace of the film is pretty brisk, despite its nearly two hour running time. Al Pacino even provided the concept's tagline in The Godfather III when he so memorably said, "Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in."
That has to be the most overused plot in crime movies. It is this idea of the former crook having to do one last job that is the movie's biggest cliche. When Chris's brother-in-law runs afoul of Tim Briggs, a smalltime gangster played with psychopathic quirkiness by Giovanni Ribisi, Chris is forced into doing another smuggling job in order to pay off his brother-in-law's debt. Wahlberg plays Chris, a former smuggler who has gone legit, becoming a husband and a father with his own business installing security systems in New Orleans. It's also impressive that after all this time and success he's still managed to hold onto his blue collar cred. So even while he doesn't stretch himself in this film, he still holds its familiar plot together. He possesses a naturalness in front of the camera that's appealing and he's developed real acting talent. After nearly 20 years in the biz though and Mark Wahlberg has won me around. When Marky Mark, with his pecs and abs, first started making movies back in the 90s I wasn't his biggest fan. Mark Wahlberg and Ben Foster in Contraband.
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