HOMEFRONT

US, 2013, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovich, Kate Bosworth, Clancy Brown, Winona Ryder.
Directed by Gary Fleder.

Homefront is a standard action show, and not untypical American action show.

It is also a vehicle for Jason Statham, who achieved considerable popularity from 1999 Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. He became a standard action hero, grim and laconic, tough, in the Transporter series and many action thrillers. He is something of an acquired taste – but has been acquired by many fans.

This film opens with a drug bust in the streets of the city, Statham as Philip Broker, working undercover. After the success of the sting, he retires to Louisiana with his young daughter, Maddy (Isabella Vidovich), building a house with the help of an African- American friend, sending his daughter to school where she shows she is the tough daughter of her father by asking bullies to stop twice and then punching them out!

However, there is the constant pervading theme of drugs, this time a big warehouse outside the town, presided over by local celebrity criminal, Gator, James Franco in an unsympathetic role. There is also his drug-addicted sister, Cassie (Kate Bosworth) who is the mother of the bullying boy. No love lost and plenty of anger.

Meanwhile, the father of a criminal shot in the initial drug raid, comes to Louisiana bent on revenge – which leads to a complicated shootout at Broker’s home, and the taking of his daughter. Coming onto the scene is a kind of contemporary gangster’s moll, an unsympathetic and unhelpful role for Winona Ryder.

With all the preparations for a big deal of drugs, things go askew, leading to shootouts, the abduction of his daughter and the rescue, and a huge explosion.

The screenplay was actually written by Sylvester Stallone and, 20 years earlier, would have served as an action vehicle for him. So, Jason Statham becomes his substitute on screen – as well as appearing with Stallone in the three Expendable films.

1. A standard action show? The DEA, drug dealers and manufacturers? Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone?

2. A Jason Statham vehicle? His career, presence, look, tough, silent? Emotional here? Yet many confrontations and fights?

3. The Louisiana setting, the towns, homes, the countryside, the drug production warehouse, the sheriff? Ordinary life? The musical score?

4. The title, Broker, Maddy, the death of his wife, looking after his daughter, building the home?

5. The introduction, the establishment of Broker’s character, the set-up, his work undercover, the drug dealers, the plan, the blow up? The key criminal, his son, his son’s death?

6. Two years passing, Broker and his ordinary life, his friend helping him with the building of the house, his daughter, going to school, her being tough, bullied at school, her fighting back after asking twice, the punch, the work with the psychologist, the angry mother and her husband?

7. Cassie, her husband, drugs, angry, her son, the supply, interactions with the sheriff? The attack on Broker? The sheriff taking his side? The husband, his stepping back? Giving up? Gator as her brother?

8. Gator, his authority, relationships, the drugs, the deals, the warehouse? With Broker, entering his house? The interventions? The planned deal? Sheryl’s arrival? Interactions with Cassie? His wanting to be away from the deal when it went down? Things going wrong, Sheryl taking Maddy, Gator with Maddy, the confrontation, the house, the warehouse and the drugs exploding?

9. Cassie, her husband, her anger, drugs, taking her son’s side, the confrontations?

10. Sheryl, her background, grim, Gator, in the plan, taking Maddy in the boat? The confrontation with Gator?

11. The drug dealer whose son was killed, his pursuit of Broker? Again, the guns, Broker and his shrewdness, his black friend, the shootouts? His daughter taken, with Sheryl?

12. The sheriff, his authority?

13. Broker’s black friend, the warning with the horn, his being shot, saved?

14. Familiar material – enjoyable for fans?