Chances are we're never going to see Jason Statham doing a rendition of Shakespeare's Henry V, and why in the world would we want to? The brooding, scowling action star sticks to what he knows best, which is breaking bones and making it look so effortless in the process. Within the action genre there are a number of styles, and Statham is one of the few who can walk between them without missing a beat. Whether it's the cartoonish, Looney Tunes brawls of The Transporter, or the brawny style of The Expendables, Statham is right at home.
Safe has the modern day Dirty Harry starring as Luke Wright, an ex-cop turned MMA punching bag. Luke has been on the ropes, homeless, ever since the Russian mob brutally murdered his wife over a deal gone bad. His story initially runs in parallel to that of Mei(Catherine Chan), a young Chinese girl with a brain like a computer that every criminal faction seeks to use for their own gain. Stolen from her sickly mother and non-existent father, Mei is brought to the United States and forced to work for the Triads(led by the eternal James Hong), who want her to memorize an extremely large sequence of numbers that will lead to untold riches. Only, the Russian mob wants her too. Actually, so does the terminally corrupt NYPD. Bloody battle is waged in the streets, and just as Luke is about to throw himself in front of subway train and end his misery, he notices an escaping Mei and the butt kicking juices start flowing.
The action here is extremely bloody and more graphic than anything Statham has ever done. Yakin shoots most of this at a frenetic pace, but only occasionally is it too hard to follow. What he gets exactly right is the street level ugliness of New York City's diseased underbelly. Of course the corruption stretches all the way up to the Mayor's office(where the scene chewing Chris Sarandon resides), because that's how these movies always go. Still, there's more than enough twists and turns that Safe never gets stale. Luke is different from the typical Statham anti-hero. He's completely unrefined and cynical, and while he plows through herds of thugs on the way to the inevitable final showdown, he's clearly not a superman. Yakin does a great job of playing with our perceptions of Statham in the film's final moments, but that's best left unspoiled.
Jason Statham has never been better, and thanks to Yakin's smart direction and unpredictable script. Safe delivers an action packed, adrenaline fueled thrill ride of the highest order.
