Audiences go haywire out of boredom

By Kensey King     1/25/12 6:00pm

Rumored by critics as the female version of the famous Bourne franchise, Haywire does not even come close to living up to its expectations. Steven Soderbergh's film lacks polish with a poorly written script, unexciting musical score and sub-par acting by the protagonist.

Like Jason Bourne, Mallory Kane (Gina Carano, Blood and Bone) works as a highly trained assassin. She is extremely skilled with various types of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. On a mission in Barcelona with assassin partner Aaron (Channing Tatum, Ten Year), Kane becomes the target of her own employer, Kenneth (Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen).  Realizing her betrayal, she focuses her efforts on a quest for revenge and to uncover the truth of the ?Barcelona mission.

The cast, though full of seasoned actors, does not deliver a strong performance. Carano should be strong in both fighting and acting but is unsuccessful in the latter. While her ability to kick major butt is indisputable, her acting resembles that of Kristen Stewart in the first Twilight movie, distant and emotionless. Her supporting male cast, though more animated as actors,  brings nothing special to the table and is unable to save the film.

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A successful action movie needs well-choreographed fight scenes and quick dialogue to keep up the excitement. The script of Haywire, however, is far too minimalist: Parts of the movie go almost five minutes without one word, dragging out scenes to the point of  awkwardness. The musical soundtrack in this film also falls flat on the audience's ears, as it remains monotone throughout the entire movie. The climax of the film could be greatly improved with a heavier musical score, one that varies more in tempo and key.

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the movie was the audience's reaction. At two different times during the movie, crowds of six or more people got up from their seats and left the theater. Never have I seen people actually leave a movie due to what can only be assumed is utter boredom.

While leading lady Carano can pack a punch, her acting skills are far from killer.  Haywire is a slow movie, and without its fight scenes, it would be excruciatingly dull.

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