Contraband (2012) [Blu-ray]
Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Mark Wahlberg stars as legendary smuggler Chris Farraday, who has left his criminal past behind to be with his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and sons. When a ruthless drug kingpin (Giovanni Ribisi) threatens his family, Farraday must summon his old skills and contacts for one last run. Contraband takes you to the cutthroat underground world of international smuggling, and on a thrilling adventure that critics are calling "dynamic, intense and gritty!" Mark S. Allen, CBS/CW-TV (Sacramento).

User Comment: farrell dsouza, 12 January 2012 • From the very beginning to the dramatic end, the movie is thrilling. There is not a scene in the movie which drags the story and every bit is to a point. His acting is simple, on point and brilliant as usual and this is one of the best smuggling films i would add to, after Italian job and various others make to a good list. The fact that it brings family, friendship, love, hate, betrayal and the usual bad guy in the film may make it sound all ordinary as most of the films have almost the same characters these days, but the reason i would ask you guys to watch this film is because the touch it has unlike most of them out these days.

I don't think timing is any bit of a problem in this movie and the way in which the scenes unfold is what i think keep you at the edge of your seat through the movie. Anywhoo, A must watch! I loved it personally.

Summary: One of Mark's Best.

User Comment: MosH from MI, USA, 11 January 2012 • Contraband starts like "Gone in 60 Seconds", but instead of boosting cars it's about smuggling contraband, and like GI6S it's because of an idiot younger brothers and familial responsibilities that brings an ex-criminal/smuggler out of retirement for that one last job. Chris our smuggler protagonist is deemed the Houdini of smuggling but in reality, he's a general super bad-ass who can talk fast, kick ass and smuggle at superhero levels. We are then treated to the Mark Wahlberg show where it's hard to imagine anything adverse happening to him and we just go along with the ride.

The movie is at its best after it sheds its GI6S intro and moves to the nitty gritty details of smuggling. The movie feels at home at sea where everything is calculated and ordered, but while on land, the movie is always bizarre, violent and out of control. This lends for some really angular storytelling that keeps the movie exciting and interesting.

It's great to see Kate Beckinsdale in the movies again though she plays the wife whose main role is to look great and be in distress, a far cry from her iconic Underworld Selene or from her last movie Whiteout.

On the whole it's a good action movie and if you liked Mark Wahlberg's previous movies like the Italian Job and Shooter, you will also like this.

Summary: Good Wahlberg action movie. Strong storytelling after the cliché start.

User Comment: toddatthemovies from Hollywood, 13 January 2012 • Contraband is a paint by numbers action/thriller. It would be easy to pick on everything that this movie wasn't, but can you blame chicken nuggets for being chicken nuggets? With a rookie screenwriter at the helm, the script suffers from a mash-up of cliché's. They start with "One last heist" and end with "If you want to save your family you'll do as you're told". There were many déjà-vu moments of been there and done that.

The star power was strong, but given so very little to work with in the way of character back story. All the characters were two dimensional representations of stereotypes. The locations (New Orleans & Panama) were interesting choices but never really quite fit. While the movie wasn't action packed, it moved at a good pace and kept my interest the whole time. The film work was solid as a whole. There was one particular action sequence that takes place around the halfway mark that was done very well.

If you have a craving that only chicken nuggets will satisfy, then I think you will come away fairly happy. Not a necessity to see on the big screen, but that helps it a little. Leave your thinking cap outside, that's the contraband that will keep you from enjoying this as it was intended.

Summary: Contraband is Paint by Numbers.

[CSW] -2.4- For the first 30 minutes or so it isn't overly impressed. Then the action started and you are supposed to get hooked. It should keep you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the movie. There are some twists and turns that you may or may not see coming. The acting is good and there is action but there is also something lacking. For some reason I never developed a strong connection to any of the characters so I didn't much care who lived and who died. With no vested interest in the character the twist and turns just seem to happen. I also thought that none of the action scenes are all that memorable either. This film just seemed to happen so there is nothing to analyze or remember. It was just mediocre in every way, shape, and form. And that's just.....well, that.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box 8.1/10- But didn't seem to enhance the film all that much.

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