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SAFE (2012)Movie Reviews
Action thriller about a second-rate cage fighter whose decision to throw a fight makes him a target of the Russian mafia. Cast:Jason Statham, Chris Sarandon, Reggie Lee, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke, Danny HochDirector:Boaz YakinRelease Date:April 27, 2012DVD Release:September 4, 2012From:LionsgateRating:RLength:1 hr 35 min
Safe (2012) played to good not great reviews. • Cynthia Fuchs wrote for Pop Matters, "The point is pain, precisely performed, exactly edited. As Luke brings it, incessantly and intently, it doesn't matter why. It only matters how. And how often." • And Radheyan Simonpillai wrote in Toronto Now, "...even when 'Safe' is bad, it's good." More Reviews Below...
David Germain, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "...the worst Statham movie since the last Statham movie, carrying on the bargain-budget action star's tradition of building a body of work out of, well, dead bodies."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 04/26/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "While the flick is bloodier than Statham's usual fare, it halts a few times so he can show a little tenderness... the juxtaposition is too much."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 129 words, 04/26/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...has more action than intrigue (or logic), and it's boilerplate vicious. It may satisfy Statham's fans, but they -- like he -- would do well to enlarge their expectations."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 255 words, 04/27/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "Statham and the scrappy Chan play it hard. The restraint becomes them. Statham is still playing it safe in 'Safe,' but vulnerability is showing through the cracks."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 04/27/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "Bullets fly, blood spurts and bodies drop all across the mean streets of New York. But through it all, there's a fairly engrossing action thriller..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 453 words, 04/27/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...not unengaging... a partial throwback to old-school B-movies like 'Death Wish,' not to mention old-school art-house wanna-B's like Cassavetes' 'Gloria.' "(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 04/23/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: MODERATE "Bring on the redemption, overabundant shootouts and whiplash editing... if only someone would offer Jason Statham a project worthy of the full range of his talent."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 04/27/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...filled with bombast and sneers but barely any thrills... the kind of thing Statham could do in his sleep, and often appears to do here."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 04/27/12
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...quite enjoyable. There are zero surprises, but it looks good, moves well through a trim running time and wields its clichés with defiant aplomb."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 04/27/12
Roger Moore, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A slow-building B-movie thriller... basically an American 'Transporter'... In the world of B-movie action, Statham's still the safest bet there is."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 04/27/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "Yakin hasn't bothered to write or direct a single scene that brings real risk or emotion to the situation... The movie takes no chances..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 04/27/12
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...enjoyable... Yakin's sleek, visually witty direction (a static, inside-the-car shot of a thug getting run over twice nabs two laughs) elevates his undeniably dopey script."(See all of Aaron Hillis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 04/25/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...the plot first strains and then assassinates credulity... Love the kid though, and Statham too - it takes a star with quality to be so rock solid in a crumbling yarn."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 141 words, 04/27/12
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...great fun, especially for those who cherish the 1970s urban-paranoia movies that took bleak pleasure in imagining a world even worse than the real one."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 471 words, 04/27/12
Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Are you getting the message that 'Safe' is violent? It is, more so than any movie this year save 'The Raid: Redemption,' and is a well-deserved 'R.' "(See all of Gary Thompson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 04/27/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a long way from perfect. But rented, in a few months, it'll go great with a six-pack and a hold-the-anchovies special."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 543 words, 04/27/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...a bruising, beastly and wickedly economical action flick from writer-director Boaz Yakin that kills and kills and kills again. And when that's finished, kills some more."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 404 words, 04/27/12
Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Let the bullets fly. Let the bodies fall. Let a man who was grieving and suicidal rise up and wreak rough justice. And boy is it rough. And ever so satisfying."(See all of Soren Andersen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 282 words, 04/27/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...enjoyable... Yakin's sleek, visually witty direction (a static, inside-the-car shot of a thug getting run over twice nabs two laughs) elevates his undeniably dopey script."(See all of Aaron Hillis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 04/25/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: WEAK(cg) "...a dull retread of most lone-man-on-a-mission action movies of the last 30 years... I found myself constantly reflecting on how this kind of day would play out in real life."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 672 words, 04/25/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Statham, at first infuriatingly passive, doesn't disappoint when he finally kicks ass, and Mei, whom he's ostensibly protecting, proves the toughest one of all."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 169 words, 05/03/12
Sam Adams, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's hard to swallow Statham, who spent the 'Crank' movies supercharging his last minutes of life, as a suicidal sad-sack..."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 440 words, 04/26/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: VERY GOOD(cg) "The point is pain, precisely performed, exactly edited. As Luke brings it, incessantly and intently, it doesn't matter why. It only matters how. And how often."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 767 words, 04/27/12
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's the imposing Statham's badass grimace and combat acumen that primarily elevate 'Safe' above your average direct-to-video genre work..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 500 words, 04/22/12
Edward Adams, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "There's no tricks, no subterfuge and no heat, just Statham doing what he does best - issuing his unique style of on-the-go justice to whomever the villain du jour may be."(See all of Edward Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 04/26/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...wholly remarkable... those of us who don't mind a little -- or a lot -- of inventive and bloody mayhem as long as there's something meatier accompanying it are in for a treat."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 879 words, 04/23/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: MODERATE "Bring on the redemption, overabundant shootouts and whiplash editing... if only someone would offer Jason Statham a project worthy of the full range of his talent."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 04/27/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: EXCELLENT "...both a slavish imitation of cinema gone by and a movie for our time.... wickedly entertaining and perversely refreshing in its total lack of contemporary piety."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 858 words, 04/25/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Brian Lowry, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...a conventional shoot-'em-up... a fast-paced but extremely familiar vehicle for Jason Statham, who can only carry the material so far on his brawny shoulders."(See all of Brian Lowry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 756 words, 04/22/12
Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "Working with Tarantino's long-time producer Lawrence Bender, Yakin fills 'Safe' with well-choreographed action set-pieces, stock characters and painfully clunky dialogue."(See all of Stephen Dalton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 989 words, 04/24/12
Andy Webster, New York Times: MODERATE "Bring on the redemption, overabundant shootouts and whiplash editing... if only someone would offer Jason Statham a project worthy of the full range of his talent."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 04/27/12
16.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Safe (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Safe (2012) (36 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Safe (2012)'s reviews cover 56.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 17,459 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 485 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 14.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Safe (2012)'s reviews on average broke 14.9 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Safe (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Safe (2012) (36 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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