Head shots, headbutts and Hell to pay.
The opening introduction to the Asian girl Jason Stathom's character is trying to save is very stereotypical, which is an on going theme throughout the film. Asians good at math..? Say what?!?!?!
Apparently, schooling your math teacher at college level algebra your learning in grade school is a one way ticket to the upper echelon of the triad syndicate in the West. This very young girl is thrust into a world of managerial crime and quickly becomes a high level accountant.
A few people come up short and she's forced to watch as her triad affiliates make an example of a casino owner who's been coming up short.
A few head shots later, we're introduced to Jason Stathom's character who seems to have rubbed the Russian mob the wrong way. He's a down and out MMA fighter who recently cost the mob a huge chunk of change on a fight he lost. Turns out he's got a price on his head which he bashes into the henchmen looking to bring him for a quick payday.
So this little girl, Mei, is fucking sweet with numbers. She's given a code and is gonna be sent to some other guy who knows some other numbers.. None of that matters. On their way, an SUV hits them and she's abducted by the Russians who want to use her Asian brain to steal whatever the code was for.
At this point, Jason Stathom is drunk and causes a scene at a convenience store which gets him arrested. The seemingly corrupt cops then go on to say something along the lines of "well, well, well.. If it isn't our old partner who rated us out" or something like that. He gets a decent beating and walks away. I mean, wtf?? No headbutts?
Jason Stathom finds Mei on a subway while she is trying to flee from the Russians and thus gets himself in another classic Jason Stathom predicament: car crashes, head shots and driving recklessly into oncoming traffic.
Thinking they've gotten away, they head to a hotel and exchange that whole humanizing conversation that brings together the bond of our two main antiheroes. Thank goodness she was a child because at this point, Jason Stathom usually bangs the Asian chick.
After getting found out at the hotel, we learn that this entire operation has the triads and the corrupt cops working together trying to keep whatever information is in, what I am assuming, a second safe.
The best part comes when this detective-in-charge guy explains that Jason Stathom is this super secret, licensed to kill, weapon of death sent by people that don't exist. He might be a stone cold killer, but he's an honest stone cold killer.
Mei gets sent back to the triads and Jason Stathom gets some revenge on the Russians, and by this time we learn there are two safes. One with 30 million and another that contains something worth 30 million. He takes one of the Russian mob bosses kids hostage, sets up a meeting with the corrupt cops and eats a sandwich.
Jason Stathom and Team Corrupt Cops make a deal to hold up the safe and split the 30 million. We get the old, "5 million for each of us is a hell of a retirement package..." knowing when they go into a heavily guarded Casino with guns ablaze, a few aren't gonna make it out alive. My money is on the black cop dying first.
So by the time they get to the safe there's only 4 left. There's not too much trust in the room and I'm waiting for someone to shoot first. Bam, bam bam!!!! Jason Stathom took em all out except for the main guy, who though corrupt, wasn't such a bad guy. Money in hand and the bastard-y cop in the trunk.
At this point we learn there is a disk in the second safe linking cops to the triads want it and Jason Stathom wants this new cop guy , Alex, to kill them and give him Mei.
While all this is going on, Jason Stathom makes his way to the head honcho of corrupt cops who has this disk and grab it to give to Alex to trade for Mei. I smell a double cross coming up...
Alex ends up wanting the money and the disc for Mei and Jason Stathom ain't having it. With a quick, heart warming exchange about the importance of the life of this Asian kid, Alex gets one in the head and three in the chest.
Jason Stathom pays off the not so corrupt cop for helping him out, the triads to let him keep the kid and releases the Russian he held hostage and ends the scene with the classic, "next time, all bets are off" sequel candy.
The movie ends with Jason Stathom and Mei in an SUV discussing what to do with their life.They settle for Seattle and live happily ever after.
Safe is, by far, your typical action movie about a man trying to save a little Asian girl from the seedy underbelly of the Chinese triad while simultaneously fighting off the Russian mob and getting revenge on some not so honest men of the law. As a big fan of Jason Stathom, I didn't expect much and got a whole lot in return. Besides the generic characters and subpar story line, Safe kept my attention and it's action sequences were awesome and had me at the edge of my seat.
If you have the time, check it out.
4/5
-MAnkIEz
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