{"id":1753,"date":"2012-01-20T16:25:33","date_gmt":"2012-01-20T16:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1753"},"modified":"2012-01-20T16:25:35","modified_gmt":"2012-01-20T16:25:35","slug":"haywire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/action\/haywire\/","title":{"rendered":"Haywire ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo<\/em><\/a> has done wonders for fighting fit females on screen recently, and any nimble, fearless female protagonist giving male counterparts as good as they get still fascinates audiences. Real-life Muay Thai Record holder Gina Carano<\/a> who stars in new action thriller Haywire<\/em><\/a>, directed by Ocean\u2019s<\/em> director Steven Soderbergh<\/a>, appears to play another peeved brunette with a sociopathic tendencies, but transcends the \u2018unhinged\u2019 bracket because Carano\u2019s mixed Martial Arts background makes her one of the most credible screen fighters in recent years: Think a \u2018female Steven Segal<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

Carano plays Mallory, a black ops super soldier and ex US Marine who is hired to rescue a kidnapped journalist in Barcelona, but soon realises that her next mission is a deadly setup by the very people she trusts. She seeks payback for the betrayal.<\/p>\n

Haywire<\/em> is very much a Carano introduction: Although the choreographed fight scenes have been seen and done before, Soderbergh\u2019s camera remains faithful to the sheer athleticism involved, never using choppy editing, whip-pans or gimmicky Kung Fu film moves to emphasise the action \u2013 it just captures the scene like an invisible spectator. In this sense, Carano\u2019s gut determination and brute strength seem more realistically portrayed, as though you are witnessing a genuine and equally matched fight. Like a professional wrestler or Bond girl, Mallory has killer thighs as a secret weapon, which heightens her sex appeal, but without trivialising the danger of the situation at hand.<\/p>\n

Coupled with a solid build, feminine curves and good looks, Carano as Mallory is the ideal anti-heroine to get behind, a contemporary woman\u2019s woman, and such is the enthralling show she puts on, it\u2019s almost disappointing when the final scene plays out. And as if to run rings around Lisbeth Salander\u2019s fine efforts, black-leather-clad Mallory handles a motorcycle equally well, and is far more reasonable and likeable too.<\/p>\n

Soderbergh combines his real-life action with slick Ocean\u2019s<\/em>-style, 60s-music-driven setup scenes to add the glamour. In fact, the film\u2019s precise pacing never drops the ball or wastes any valuable time or action \u2013 even in the supposed downtime between jobs \u2013 keeping you engaged. Soderbergh also has a flair for making his cast look super cool, and with such a stellar turnout adding their magic touch to this, including Michael Fassbender<\/a>, Antonio Banderas<\/a>, Michael Douglas<\/a> and Ewan McGregor<\/a>, even the most disagreeable character gets a few minutes of screen magnetism before their fate is sealed \u2013\u00a0plus for fans of Shame<\/a><\/em>, Fassbender doesn\u2019t disappoint in the flesh quota.<\/p>\n

Mallory may easily be labelled \u2018a female Bourne\u2019 in some of the international, high-pressured chase scenes, and have her work cut out with the Salander allure at the box office, but Carano and Soderbergh have actually created a possible franchise in the character \u2013 like a tangible Lara Croft: Mallory is more human, more accessible and more creative in her missions that Haywire<\/em> is certain to be Carano\u2019s key to bigger notoriety and success \u2013 probably because the actress has actually seen real live action in her time.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

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