The film opens with two really bad guys. Not your ordinary bad guys, but guys that have no qualms about killing innocent woman and children. One of these guys looks curiously like a younger Viggo Mortensen consequently I wondered if the actor was portraying the younger Tom Stall (who Viggo plays in the film). Not so. No need for you to wonder that too.

Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this film. On one hand, it's cool to see an ordinary guy from smalltown, USA defend himself from the bad guys like a hardened bad guy himself. On the other hand, what is the point of this film? Of course such impressively accurate defensive behavior raises quite interesting questions. And the exploration of these questions makes the film compelling, but eventually, choices made by the characters (via scriptwriters) become just a tad too unbelievable for me. And in the end, what did we learn? Not a clear point to the movie, but hey, if you're entertained, that's good too.

That said, Viggo does a fine job, though, so understated that without the colorful performances of Ed Harris and William Hurt and Maria Bello the film might have just faded right into the screen. Actually, though you will have to wait until the end for his brief but potent performance, William Hurt is brilliant in a rather different role for him.

In total, this interesting engaging film, shows off some fun performances, makes a few progressions below its own integrity, and displays some scenes/shots that hang a little too long on screen. A very strong B, almost B+.

This film screened at a Krikorian Theatre.