by Dani Norton
Staff writer
“Contraband” is a film based on the Icelandic thriller “Reykjavic-Rotterdam” from 2008. It is an exciting, action-filled ride that will certainly hold your attention if you’ve somehow managed to never see any one of the hundreds of films exactly like it.
“Contraband” stars Mark Wahlberg as Chris Farraday, a retired contraband smuggler who is tasked with cleaning up a particularly expensive and cocaine-dusted mess that his brother-in-law has made
The plot of the movie is one we’ve all seen before: ex-criminal gets his life back on track only to be thrust back into the business for one last dirty job if he ever wants to see his wife and children again. Chris is married to Kate (Kate Beckinsale), whose brother Andy has screwed up some kind of seedy job for his boss (Giovanni Ribisi).
Chris entrusts his old buddy Sebastian (Ben Foster) to keep an eye on Kate and their sons while he smuggles millions in counterfeit money from Panama City back to New Orleans, all before the previously mentioned crime boss decides it’s time to cut the Farraday family into little pieces.
What works in this film’s favor is the cast. Perhaps with the exception of the pleasant to stare at Wahlberg, each cast member has a versatile resume that brings enough hype to the table to coax audiences into the theater.
Wahlberg’s physique will do its part to draw in a crowd as well, but not much can be said for his performance. It is everything you would expect from him in a film like this: boring.
Ribisi is as creepy as ever, and it’s great to see him finally get a bigger role in a movie. His small but memorable roles in films such as “Avatar” and “Saving Private Ryan” have served him well, but he received little credit for them. Unfortunately, he may remain underrated as his “Contraband” character comes off as laughably annoying, rather than the deeply crazed criminal he should have been.
The biggest issue with “Contraband” is that the idea of “the last heist” has been an action trope for time out of mind, and there are only so many ways to present it before it becomes a moot point. Add to the fact that this one is not particularly well done, and we end up with a giant snooze fest.
At one point, while driving around Panama City in search of a building whose location cannot be recalled by our hero, Wahlberg suggests that he and his cohorts simply drive around for a bit until something jogs his memory. In the tiny village of Panama City, population 900,000, that shouldn’t take long at all.
Overall, “Contraband” just doesn’t work. Nothing about it, from Marky Marks’s bland performance to its tired, hole-riddled plot, is enough to impress audiences looking for an exciting take on the action thriller genre.
If you find yourself coerced into seeing this movie, you may find it in your best interest to pursue a life of crime and smuggle yourself out of the theater.
