Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief sexuality.
Starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth
Dircted by Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls and Runaway Jury)
Surprisingly this Jason Statham movie actually has a decent story.
Homefront is an action movie about a widowed ex-DEA agent who retires to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter. The only problem is he picked the wrong town.
OK first things first, I think Jason Statham is very cool. I think plenty of his films are pretty entertaining – movies like Snatch; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; The Italian Job and The Bank Job. But I’m quick to concede that he has made some real duds – Crank, Death Race and on and on.
While this may not be a great movie, it definitely delivers on action. And isn’t that why we watch Jason Statham’s films?
Jason Statham kicks butt and takes names. And James Franco as the bad guy is really strong. Izabela Vidovic was also great as Broker’s daughter – I can definitely see her appearing in more movies in the future.
And that father-daughter story line is a nice touch. Statham plays the tough guy with ease, but I was surprised how he was able to pull off the tenderhearted father. There is a scene where we see him close to tears and he is both believable and convincing.
Homefront is far from perfect, but it is a great action flick. This movie is a great “Rental” for anyone who enjoys watching Jason Statham repeatedly beating up a lot of bad guys.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
While there is no sex or nudity, there is plenty of violence and around 115 F-words. So I would keep this one away from kids.
CONVERSATION STARTER
- Early in the film Broker’s daughter gets into a fight at school. And although she was defending herself, Broker apologies to her classmate’s parents.
- How did you feel watching him apologize?
- Why did he apologize? (to try and make peace)
- Read Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. - Why do you think it is so difficult to live at peace with everyone?
- What can you do this week as far as it depends on you, to live at peace with everyone?
Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.