Denzel Washington has officially entered tough-guy territory again. As Tobin Frost — a hardened, murderous, clever criminal who finds himself on the run with a young CIA agent (Ryan Reynolds) after the safe house where he is being held is attacked — Washington is on a diet that strictly requires him to chew the scenery so much that I'm surprised there was even a set left to look at when this film concluded.
Side characters utter the name Tobin Frost like some legendary handle, looking upon Washington's character with an equal balance of both admiration and fear. As did I. There is still perhaps no image more frightening than Denzel Washington being intimidating, standing over his victims with a taunting glare and gun in hand.
This is the Denzel from "Training Day," "American Gangster," and films where the actor finds endless fun through popping a scowl on his face and playing the bad guy. It is a shame his costar, the often-charmless Ryan Reynolds, has such a tough time keeping up.
Aside from watching Denzel have a blast, "Safe House" is just another standard-rate action thriller, Model #38558954. Not only have I seen hand-to-hand combat featured in movies just like this one, I've seen it executed better. I've seen better violence. I've seen better excitement. I've seen better character development.
This is an accessible yet disposable action thriller — its highlight and selling point lying in the hands of its leading man. But the main problem with this film is that "Safe House" is a pretty solid 90-minute sprint trapped within a decent 115-minute stretch.
If this movie was just about Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington on the run from the swarms of people who want the latter dead, "Safe House" could have been the pulse-pounding, gritty action thriller it strives to be.
Instead, the movie fills extra minutes and gaps with tedious expository dialogue (delivered mainly by action-deprived CIA agents played by Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, and Sam Shepard) and action scenes that quickly grow tired.
At times, the movie stretches its plausibility to levels that blatantly test it, and it often fails. How am I supposed to believe Ryan Reynolds is an action star? Just because he throws a hoodie over his head does not make him intimidating. Especially alongside Washington, Reynolds looks like a scared kitten cowering next to a pit bull.
"Safe House" is a safe movie, playing it cautious by being exactly like everything we've seen before
