What are we to do with you, Jason Statham? Granted, we've all come to expect a certain macho-ness to the ass-kicking roles he takes, and that's what his fans are clearly interested in seeing from him. But an actor can't live on The Expendables and Crank alone; and Statham has occasionally dabbled in moody character pieces that allow him to still be the coolest guy in the room; films like Redemption, Parker, The Bank Job, and The Mechanic. Personally I'm a bigger fan of these attempts to branch out, and Statham has clearly found a willing partner in director Simon West. The duo worked together on their remake of Charles Bronson's The Mechanic, and now they've turned their attention to a mostly-forgotten Burt Reynolds film, Heat, although the results this time are pretty mixed.
"Mixed" would be an upgrade from the original, however, which was penned by the great William Goldman based on his own novel. That 1986 production was a dud from start to finish, and Goldman has apparently jumped at the chance for a do-over. He didn't bother to update the screenplay all that much, either, allowing Statham to settle into a role that's more of a dramatic piece than a straight-up bruiser. The lackadaisical pacing remains, however, and there's zero excuse for the length of time it takes for the story to kick into gear. Statham plays Nick Wild, one of those Las Vegas characters you always see in Hollywood movies; y'know, the kind of guy who has become part of the fabric of the city whether he likes it or not. The opening scene has him taking a beating from some loser, all part of a scam so the guy's hot girlfriend (Sofia Vergara, in a pointless cameo) will fall in love with him. From there it's a about an hour-long stroll through Nick's aimless life. He works as a security consultant from a shady lawyer (Jason Alexander), eats at the diner where his favorite waitress (Anne Heche) works, and chats up his favorite dealer (Hope Davis) at the casinos. There's the occasional thought of skipping town, but then what the heck would a guy like Nick do? Settle down for a steady gig in America's heartland? Jason Statham characters don't do settling down.
Eventually the plot shambles into form when Nick's call girl friend Holly (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) is beaten up and raped by Danny DeMarco (Milo Ventimiglia), the arrogant son of a mob boss. She's anxious for a bit of violent payback and asks Nick for his help, but he knows how these things work. Once he gets involved, it will be an endless cycle of violence and with the mob involved there's no guarantee he walks away unscathed. But come on, we already know he'll get involved, and when he does the film briefly resembles the Statham flicks we've come to expect. There are only a couple of genuine action sequences and both are staged extremely well; violent and bloody and in one case set comically to a rendition of "White Christmas". While these are enjoyable they don't totally fit with the sleepy vibe of the film, and seem as if they were put in just to keep the Statham fans happy. There's an extended gambling sequence that arrives out of nowhere, because that's what one must have in this kind of Vegas film, but doesn't amount to much and lacks any real thrill.
Too often it's hard to figure where the story of this hard luck hero is going, or if it's going anywhere. To his credit, Statham equips himself well in an understated role surrounded by an incredible array of talent. Stanley Tucci gets the most colorful supporting role as a big city mobster named "Baby", and when he leaves one can't help but wish he stuck around a bit longer. The same can be said for most of the cast who all have flashy characters to play in a grimy, less-glitzy version of Las Vegas. The cinematography by DP Shelly Johnson isn't looking to capture the neon-lit, touristy Ocean's Eleven version of Vegas; this is the dirty, cheap motel version nobody wants to talk about.
Goldman has now taken two stabs at the material and neither has lived up to the material's full potential. Chances are there won't be a third attempt, at least not using Goldman's screenplay. Wild Card gives Statham one of his better roles to chew on, and despite the lack of butt-kicking action it's still worth taking a gamble on.
Rating: 3 out of 5
