Haywire

Be very honest with yourself: Do you like spy thrillers? Because, not knowing you, if I had to guess your reaction to this film I would guess you'll like it about as much as you like the genre in which it fits so snugly within. It's a spy thriller about a wronged spy simultaneously avoiding danger and seeking justice. You have seen this film before if you are familiar with the genre.

That being said, I enjoyed the visual texture of the film, the tight storyline (little to no fluff; just progression of the main story), and, most of all, Gina Carano. On the one hand, they obviously dubbed her voice. Those of us who remember her from her MMA days will notice that more or less right away. It's an odd choice partly because the voice-over actress has a very stern and unpleasant voice that doesn't fit Gina at all, and partly because if you take a big chance by casting an unknown non-actor in a film like this, it seems a bit unsteady and weak to cancel out part of that bravery by dubbing the woman's voice. Neverminding that, the fight scenes are outstanding; most especially the fight in the hotel, which I would rank as one of the better exchanges of its kind captured on film.

All that being said, just remember: it's a genre film. It won't change your mind about the genre or appeal to people who ordinarily hate spy thrillers. But if you are at least somewhat intrigued by that menu option, I'd recommend this film to you.

Gina Carano; what more needs to be said. Watch her fighting skills on various YouTube videos and you'll see why this beautiful, talented actress does almost all of her own stunts in this exciting and entertaining movie. Movie moves along at a back-and-forth pace between past and present so one must pay attention to detail. Love the last scene too; bad guys get their comeuppance. Be sure to watch her other movie "In The Blood", also available through Amazon.com.

i won't say this is a "female bourne" or anything like that, that's not giving her credit for being herself vs just being a woman who can fight.

amazing & incredibly tight fight scenes set this apart from most action movies, during all of her fights you get the sense that she's acutely aware of every inch of her body & always in total control.

midway through the movie there's a great fight scene, and where most movies would fall back on in your face music... you get nothing but combat sounds during a life and death struggle.

her acting is great, especially for someone who's so junior... she doesn't mumble or stammer through her lines... her self-confidence really shines through.

my only complaint? WHY IS THIS MOVIE SO CHEAP?! it's insulting to the production, but awesome since you don't really have to think twice about owning this great action flick.

My great granddaughter and I watched it (she is 15) and she is always thrilled when a woman can stick up for her self which Gina Caranco can for sure... However one of the reason I bought is that there was supposed to be a digital copy and the code wouldn't take at all... soo we didn't get it and that makes me mad... I love owning the movie... but we are watching it is nice to have the digital copy to watch for ease of watching!!! I have had this happen to me a few times and it make me really furious that I don't get the digital copies I am supposed to get!!!
But we did enjoy the movie and I liked it just fine!!!

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.

Gina Carano is so badass here, and i love the cool camaraderie she shares with Bill Paxton as her war writer father. Says it all - I've seen it 20 times. The only drawback is the sudden hip ending, which seems cut off - like we don't need the last act - honey, I need it/

Wonderful action/adventure movie by a top-notch director who surrounded an actual fighter with major-league actors and great fighting/action sequences. And the editing is a joy. This is not a Michael Bay movie, it's fast and fun but not simple or cheesy.