Contraband (2012)

Smuggle bunnies

January is the time of year when producers release weak films they don't think will do well. That is why, when I see movies like "Contraband", I try to keep an open mind when entering a theater. Fortunately, this was one of the January releases I actually enjoyed. It isn't anything new, but it is a cast of great actors having a good time in a popcorn action flick. Mark Wahlberg, also serving as Producer on the film, is steady as an ex-smuggler trying to leave the life behind so he can keep his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two sons safe. Giovanni Ribsi, as the smuggler trying to get Beckinsale's brother (Caleb Landry Jones) to pay for a drug shipment he lost, is deliciously slimy, and Ben Foster, as Wahlberg's best friend, is marvelous as usual. As the plot begins to unravel, things only seem to get worse for everyone involved, and you can't help but get swept up in the twists and turns. 

Grade: B

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Beckinsale

Director: Baltasar Kormakur

Writer(s): Aaron Guzikowski - Film ("Reykjavik-Rotterdam"): Arnaldur Indrioason and Oskar Jonasson

RT: 110 min

Rating: R for violence, pervasive language and brief drug use