Product Details

• Actors: Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Debby Lynn Ross, Michael Fassbender
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: May 1, 2012
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (358 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B007C4ZJ0S
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,961 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Gentleman filmmaker Steven Soderbergh leads a pretty charmed professional life exploring themes, genres, and intensely personal subjects that capture his fancy any time the spirit moves him. Thanks largely to the huge success of the Ocean's series, he's earned A-list clout and pretty much carte blanche to follow the combination of whimsy or serious interest that has become his M.O. in alternating projects that are either for "them" (Hollywood capitalists) or strictly for him. Hot on the heels of Contagion, his deadly serious and terrifyingly authentic thriller from late 2011, Haywire is a different kind of exercise in genre and formal technique, but cut from the same Soderbergh cloth of enthusiasm and impeccable craftsmanship. Both movies also seem to bring together the for-me and for-them elements of his career, letting him follow a highbrow personal style while also creating terrific pieces of entertainment that are easily accessible to the wants of cinema sophisticates and lovers of thrills, action, and dramatic ingenuity alike. Haywire is certainly more fun than Contagion as an out-and-out action extravaganza, with a silly and largely superfluous plot thread wound around private covert intelligence operatives, the shadowy government entities that employ them, and the double-crosses that ensue when operations go wrong. Using a back-and-forth narrative structure that shifts time and scrambles events as they unfold, Haywire is primarily a showcase for Gina Carano, a superstar in the world of mixed martial arts. Carano makes her screen debut as Mallory Kane with understated hotness and a constant barrage of fighting stunt work that reduces almost every high-profile costar into a mass of broken bones. The series of operations she instigates or participates in take her on a stylishly globetrotting adventure to Spain, Ireland, New Mexico, rural New York State, and points in between. She stumbles into and wriggles out of danger everywhere she goes with aplomb, kicks, punches, strangulations, and gunshots that are spectacularly choreographed and do not rely on flash cuts or the kind of utterly confusing shifts in spatial relationships that mark most run-of-the-mill action sequences. Though the substance is largely beside the point--motivations and resolutions are not nearly as important as the polished, methodical, or frenzied bouts of kinetic energy--there is some semblance of comprehension conveyed in the spare script by Soderbergh's screenwriter collaborator Lem Dobbs. Carano is only able to strike a few notes in her acting ability between kicks, leg strangulations, and other acrobatic acts of violence. Fortunately the rest of the ensemble cast make the most of their supporting roles by lending winking humor and reliable nuance to parts that might otherwise seem like stock caricatures. Ewan McGregor is charmingly devious as the private black-ops chief who is Mallory's boss and also her ex-boyfriend. Michael Fassbender plays an MI6 agent who proves no match for Mallory's Special Forces training; ditto Channing Tatum, who also underestimates Mallory's prowess as a lover and a fighter. Antonio Banderas is a mysterious go-between who plays a crucial role in the fiasco that comes to be known simply as "Barcelona," and Michael Douglas stands tall as an exasperated government pencil pusher who resents yet can't operate without the help of private-sector security and intelligence operatives. In spite of her inexperience, Carano holds the screen with her smoldering charisma as Soderbergh pours on the tense or languorous action with wit and skill. Haywire may be a trifle in the continuing experimental career of Steven Soderbergh, but it is a delicious confection nonetheless. --Ted Fry

Product Description

Directed by Oscar® winner* Steven Soderbergh (Contagion), this dynamic action-thriller introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, a black-ops agent for a government security contractor.

After freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, Mallory is double-crossed and left for dead – by someone in her own agency. Suddenly the target of assassins who know her every move, Mallory unleashes the fury of her fighting skills to uncover the truth and turn the tables on her ruthless adversary.

Featuring Carano performing her own high-adrenaline stunts and an all-star cast including Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas, HAYWIRE is explosive movie entertainment.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 96 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Soderbergh's great "B" movie March 6, 2012

By M. Oleson

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

The amazing Steven Soderbergh directs and elevates another film genre. Specifically, "B" movies that focus on espionage, intrigue and high action martial arts fighting. In an unusual mixture of actors, he brings in former MMA superstar and calendar girl Gina Carano as the headliner. She plays an agent for hire who works for one of those Blackwater-type firms that do a lot of the foreign dirty work for Uncle Sam. For some reason, she is believed to be expendable and is used as a pawn in a double-cross to kill a Chinese journalist in Spain.

Unlike, the lithe Zoe Saldana in "Columbiana", Ms Carano is tall, firm and fully packed. The daughter of a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, the beautiful fighter is very believable. She appears to be doing all of her own stunt work and from what I can discern without the aid of wiring and other devices. For example, in a rooftop chase she doesn't just leap up to grab a roof and catapult herself to the top. You can see the effort in her face. She's really doing this stuff! Her MMA skills also come into play with obvious boxing training. And you have to love it when she does a figure-4-leg-lock (sorry, I don't know the official name for the hold) around some guy's neck. She needs to get comfortable with the acting component of her new career, but she is far from terrible.

Soderbergh also manages to bring into the mix an assortment of "A" list actors, who must have been begging to have their asses kicked by this girl. Michael Douglas is the government man (CIA?) who hires the mercenaries headed by Ewan McGregor and who is Mallory's (Carano) boss. Bill Paxton is her dad. Michael Fassbender (his scenes with Carano are priceless) is a rogue MI:6 agent. Channing Tatum is a co-worker and part time lover. Antonio Banderas is a middle man playing both sides. The plot isn't overly complicated and even makes sense but no one should confuse this movie as an Oscar contender or even the caliber of the new "Mission: Impossible" film, but it is fun, fast and furious and highly recommended.

Blu ray Update: In this re-look at this terrific Soderbergh coming out party for Gina Carano, I'll focus on the Blu ray version. The film looks terrific featuring scenes from hotel rooms to the ocean to bustling cities to the Colorado mountains. Soderbergh presents a color palette unlike other films of the genre. He's not afraid to use hues of yellow and brown mixed in with the usual basics. The film has a 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The audio mix is also excellent with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. When I first saw this film I overlooked an early scene when Mallory (Carano) and her 3 partners rescue a Chinese journalist in Barcelona. When a gunfight begins, the gun shots and bullet hits are muted to the extent they are dull thuds. This allows the retro jazzy soundtrack to play loud and clear. Very cool as is the whole movie. The disc only has two extras and they total 21 minutes. One is called "Gina Carano in Training" and the second is "The Men of Haywire." I'd upgrade the film to 4.5 stars.

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Female Jason Statham May 11, 2012

By Tadeus Jaromin Jr.

Format:Amazon Instant Video

I know this isn't the best action movie ever made but I cannot believe some of the low ratings. Like Taken, the story is second to the action. The story is good enough and interesting enough to keep you interested but the action is the real story. Gina does a great job!!! She doesn't come across as someone acting like a tough "guy". She comes across as tough and real. I highly recommend this movie.

76 of 94 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "You shouldn't think of her as a woman. That would be a mistake." February 23, 2012

By H. Bala TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

So this was many months ago: Stunned in the aftermath of a brutal shellacking meted out by Chris Cyborg, MMA fighter Gina Carano entertained one of them standing at the crossroads moments. Which is around when Hollywood came knocking, when Steven Soderbergh decided to call and ask her to star in a movie. And here's HAYWIRE, fruit of their collaboration, a film that isn't high-brow or artsy or a Major Motion Picture. What it is, though, is gritty and action-packed and massively appealing. It just might make a movie star of Gina Carano. She's better looking than the Rock.

From the opening scene in an upstate New York diner, your eyes are fixed on Carano. She sits at her table quietly, but there's a trapped animal watchfulness about her and you're instantly put on guard. And yet when the sitch goes sour, it happens in a shocking heartbeat and you're caught unprepared anyway (unless, of course, you've seen the trailer). Carano plays Mallory Kane, an exceptional employee in a private contracting company that takes on all manner of dirty ops work. The narrative doesn't follow a linear track. It shifts back and forth from the present and the past. As the film opens, Mallory Kane already has a bullseye on her.

Mallory must work thru a labyrinthine puzzle to figure out all them what betrayed her. It all goes back to an eventful rescue mission executed by Mallory and her fellow agents in Barcelona - of which entirety we see in flashback. But all this is a superfluous info dump. It's the film's MacGuffin. Somewhere along the way, someone high up in the cloak & dagger community made the decision to sanction Mallory Kane. This then allows us to marvel at Carano as her resourceful, lethally capable character travels the globe bent on exacting revenge. From Barcelona to Dublin to New Mexico to upstate New York, she leaves a trail of busted up bodies.

Even when Soderbergh is slumming, his stuff registers high on the watchability scale. HAYWIRE is his spin on the action thriller, and it's a well-crafted one. It's not just one fight after another. It takes its time in unfolding its narrative beats (okay, there are some slow spots). But HAYWIRE overall feels like the product of a master filmmaker letting his hair down and having fun but not neglecting his due diligence. It's obvious that Soderbergh set out to make Carano a star. HAYWIRE showcases her pretty brilliantly. Carano isn't half bad at the acting bits, and she is most definitely eye candy. But recognizing that she's a fledgling actress, Soderbergh populates her film with big Hollywood names. We're treated to hard-hitting scenes in which Carano opens a mean can on hunks like Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, and a slightly weasely Ewan Macgregor. The cool thing is these actors - along with Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas - seem to not mind playing second fiddle to a rookie actress. The performances are universally solid, with the biggest surprise being that Gina Carano does hold her own in their company. There's something about her, about her attitude, a sense that she's working hard but still not taking herself seriously. And when she smiles that flirty smile, there's a feel of wheels spinning internally. I believed that her character really was that intelligent and resourceful and undeterred. I already knew she was sexy.

Soderbergh plonks her in diverse settings which showcase her versatility. We see her glamorous side as she partners Michael Fassbender's dashing MI6 operative on a work night in Dublin. We see her down and dirty as she gets to the business of eluding her assassins and dishing out payback. I didn't doubt that Gina Carano would be able to sell her action scenes; she's photogenic that way, too. Her fights are nasty affairs, no holds barred and sometimes not pretty to look at. Carano is explosive and marvelously athletic, and when she hits a body you don't doubt that her blows have a serious impact. And, to make it even more realistic, Carano also absorbs her share of punishment, lots of it. Soderbergh opted to not have a music score framing these no-quarter-given scraps. All you hear are the desperate grunts and harsh breathing and the thuds of striking feet and fists. It makes it even more believable.

I heard someone mention this already, and, in fact, a cop in the film even refers to Carano by that name. But if the role of Wonder Woman is still being cast, why not Gina Carano? She's got the goods. And she probably won't even need that lasso of truth to whup on them villains. In any case, Gina Carano needs to do more films.