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Photo courtesy of filmofilia.com
By Tom Kline
Arts and Entertainment Editor 
Two stars  

Action movies generally have an unfortunate release schedule.

Most of the good films are released between May and early August, when the typical demographic for most films, those between the ages of 18 and 25, are out of school, and when temperatures are high enough to drive potential moviegoers looking to beat the heat into theaters.

An unfortunate side-effect of this pattern is that films released outside of that time period are typically mediocre at best. 
 
“Contraband”  is one such film. With a stale plot, lazy performances and a poor attempt at pacing, the film is without a doubt a black mark on director Baltasar Kormákur’s (“Inhale”) portfolio.

A remake of the 2009 Icelandic film “Reykjavík-Rotterdam”, the “Contraband’s”plot revolves around the life of former professional smuggler Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg, “The Fighter”), who has moved on from a life of crime and is now installing security systems. 
 
When his wife Kate’s (Kate Beckinsale, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”) younger brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones, “X-Men: First Class”) botches a smuggling run of his own and becomes the target of a powerful drug lord (Giovanni Ribisi, “The Rum Diary”), Farraday must once again return to his life of crime for one last job to appease him. He reunites his old smuggling crew, consisting of Sebastian (Ben Foster, “The Mechanic”), Danny (Lukas Haas, “Inception”), and Andy, and plans a money-laundering job in Panama. 

Farraday quickly realizes the gravity of his situation, as the drug lord has been stalking Kate and their two young children and will kill them if he does not repay the money in time. Along the way, double-crosses, chase scenes, and other associated drama abound, and Farraday must call into question those whom he trusts the most.

The film suffers from a terribly boring plot that drags quite a bit in the second act. So much time is spent developing relationships between generally unnecessary characters that the central plot point, the actual smuggling run, is diluted in the process. The cast is filled with phoned-in performances, particularly from Wahlberg, Foster and Beckinsale. 
 
But the film’s biggest problem is its inconsistent tone, which switches erratically at some of the most inconvenient points; it is as if the film cannot decide whether it is an action-drama or a heist film. Humor is poorly implemented throughout the film by distracting the audience from the actual plot itself. This creates a great deal of confusion in a plot that is already a chore to follow with any great amount of effort.

While perhaps not the most offensively-bad movie
released in recent memory, the film is by no means a good one, either. With its snooze-worthy plot, pacing, and performances, as well as bipolar shifts in tone that rival those of typical Michael Bay fare, “Contraband” is a film that moviegoers might want to avoid, as customs will no doubt be confiscating it when it arrives in port.

“Contraband” is rated R.
 


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