No one can deny that Denzel Washington is a talented actor, and he has been a key part of some of my favorite films, but the star has developed a less than flattering reputation related to his personality over the past few years, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled when I first caught wind of Safe House. Granted, titles like Training Day and American Gangster prove Denzel is at his absolute strongest when portraying a villain, so his characterization in this newest action thriller was a definite plus. For me, the biggest question mark was the inclusion of Ryan Reynolds, someone who is a definite hit-or-miss in terms of film quality and someone that I still haven’t fully forgiven for Green Lantern. Universal Pictures definitely had bankable names to exploit in order to sell tickets, but the vast gap in personalities between the leading men had no guarantee of being able to work together effectively. Skeptical to say the least, I didn’t have high hopes for Safe House, but I do admit to being curious regarding whether this risky formula could end up being truly entertaining.
In retrospect, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Safe House, thanks largely to the energetic and action-packed narrative and the powerhouse performance delivered by Ryan Reynolds. Given his body of work, I understand how difficult it may be to buy Reynolds as an action hero or a capable spy, but the intensity of his on-screen presence gives off a definite Jason Bourne-vibe and has effectively renewed my faith in him as an actor. Denzel is at his manipulative best, but it almost seems like he delivers more of a presence as opposed to a performance, with minimal dialogue and altogether incomplete character development. Director Daniel Espinosa clearly understands the need to keep the audience’s attention, with any lull in energy closely accompanied by a jolting chase or fight sequence and a consistent level of mystery, but the shaky camerawork gets distracting and the predictable storyline is sadly underwhelming. In its entirety, Safe House is an enjoyable film, but if you look past the distraction of familiar faces and strong acting, you will notice gaping weaknesses that severely compromise this action thriller’s chances of being remembered or revered past the theater.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
