Review: The Foreigner Will Thrill You From Beginning To End
- Oct 19, 2017
- 2 min read
From the director of two of the greatest Bond films, Goldeneye and Casino Royale, as well as, yeah, Green Lantern (ignore that one), comes a melding of Jason Bourne and John Rambo in the thoroughly enjoyable, if falsely advertised, The Foreigner.
A bomb goes on a busy London street. 12 dead, dozens more wounded. The IRA claim responsibility, only, they didn't set the bomb. Enter Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), an ex-IRA and now political liaison between the British government and the heads of the IRA. He needs to find out who planted the bomb as peace is at an all time high, and he wishes it to stay that way. But Liam, the IRA and all of the UK didn't count on one thing, Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan). Witnessing his daughters death in the blast, Quan begins a one man war against anyone who stands in his way. His goal is simple, bring the bombers to justice, his methods, by any means necessary.
The Foreigner is a thriller for the ages, and that's what it is, despite what the trailers sell it as. First and foremost, this isn't an action film, more of a political thriller inter-cut with action, and it's very good at it. Chan quickly take centre stage, giving a serious, if subdued performance, bring both his acting skills as well as his formidable stunt work to bear. Brosnan is no slouch either, carrying his parts of the film with almost flippant ease.
To say the film's stars give excellent performances would be an insult to them. Both are cast out of character with Brosnan stepping away from his usual cool and calculated approach and into a stressed, broken character. But it really is Chan who makes the biggest impact. Best known for his more comic work, The Foreigner shows that he can portray a deeply serious character, one with no time for jokes or quips. He's focused only on the task at hand and he totally sells it.
While it seems to have a surprisingly small release, and I have no idea why, The Foreigner is a lean, mean, thrilling machine. Loaded with great moments, enjoyable action and excellent characters, you'll be enthralled from its explosive introduction to its emotional end.
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