Title: Security
Director(s): Alain DesRochers
Screenwriter(s): Tony Mosher & John Sullivan
Released: 2017
Runtime: 1h 29m
● This is not a Taken clone as the hero doesn’t operate entirely alone but I include it because it features an older lead in a shoot ’em up and four of the producers also produced at least one of the Has Fallen films.
● Bad guys stuff up their hit job on an 11-year-old girl escorted by US Marshals. She runs and seeks refuge at a shopping mall. Eddie (Antonio Banderas), a marine veteran who is struggling to find work, is on his first night shift at said mall with four others. Charlie (Ben Kingsley) turns up and offers a large amount of cash for the girl which Eddie rejects and what follows is a predictable shootout.
● The premise is clichéd, which is fine, but the execution is unfortunately poor. Banderas and Kingsley try to make it work—there are a few cool moments—but the other elements are simply too distracting. Eddie leads a bunch of misfits which includes the “hot chick” who only shoots two arrows. The acting of the minor roles is bad at times but, to be fair, the writing doesn’t help.
● As for the plot progression, the bad guys are conveniently slow to actually enter the mall. Granted, they don’t want to blow up the place but somehow there is enough time for Eddie and his bunch of misfits to set traps. Even after the first shots are fired, they are still way too slow. They are competent enough to jam communications but can’t jam or intercept toy walkie-talkies. As for weapons, it looks and sounds like everyone is shooting .22s.
● In the opening act, a map of the mall is shown and Eddie is even given a tour. This is appreciated but unfortunately, there is little sense of location throughout the film. Things just happen at a place that is convenient. This is a lost opportunity because there is the potential to utilize locations for hide-and-seek as well as firefights in a more dynamic and interesting way.
● Related to the above, there is an entire lack of visual style. Longer shots and better film editing would help in this respect.
● The irony is that Eddie makes a quip about how merely five guys guarding such a mall is like being stuck in 1992. If this film was made in 1992, it might be considered cheesy but not too bad. But since there have been a few decent action films since then, Security fails, especially for a 2017 release.
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This mini-review is part of the collection for Taken clones and derivatives.
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