Movie review: Haywire

There's a reason this is being released in January.

Steven Soderbergh has had quite the eclectic career. He was nominated for an Oscar for his debut film, 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape, but didn’t become a major Hollywood player until 1998’s Out of Sight. Since then, he has bounced back and forth between making big budget studio films like the Ocean’s 11 series and eccentric, independent fare. As one would guess, he tends to take a few more risks in the latter films, including casting actors other directors might not touch.

In 2009, he made The Girlfriend Experience with Sasha Grey -- who made 33 other films that year, only one of which wasn’t porn -- as the lead. Soderbergh’s next reclamation project is retired MMA fighter Gina Carano, who headlines Haywire. Carano plays Mallory, a secret agent of sorts who finds herself at odds with her employer and must do her best to avoid falling victim to all manner of setups and/or assassination attempts in places like Barcelona, Dublin, and New Mexico.

That's not a flamethrower, but it sure looks like one.

I say “secret agent of sorts” because it’s never exactly clear what it is she does. The film starts with her on the run and then backtracks to fill in the details. It’s clear that she has expertise any good spy should have, but Soderbergh and writer Lem Dobbs decline to give many details on her background or why exactly she’s built up the enmity she has. Additionally, the plot details are kept cryptic for much of the film, something that’s supposed to build intrigue but mostly just elicits a shrug. All the audience knows for sure is that Mallory is dangerous enough for people to want to kill her, and that she packs one hell of a punch (or kick) in a relatively small package.

This is Soderbergh’s first time tackling a true action film and he does his best to distinguish the fight scenes from others in the genre. Most, if not all, of the scenes are devoid of any kind of musical soundtrack, and the typical thuds or thwacks that are added in post-production also seem to be diminished. On paper, that sounds as if it could enhance the realism of the fights, but in practice it’s actually quite boring. Without any enhancements, you’re mostly left with people grunting, which gets old quickly.

Fight scene or love scene? You'll have to watch to find out.

It’s obvious that Carano’s physical skills and attributes are what drew Soderbergh to her for the role. She handles herself ably in the fight scenes, employing more than a few moves that wouldn’t be out of place in the octagon. And her shapeliness serves the character well on multiple occasions, as well. Her acting, though, isn’t up to par. Most of her lines are said in a monotone, whether she’s ordering coffee or interrogating an enemy.

The one thing Soderbergh did right was cast a variety of well-known actors, such as Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, and Channing Tatum, in supporting roles. While none of them are able to rescue the film in any meaningful way, their presence does give the film more credibility than it would have without them. It’s especially fun to see Fassbender in action, as he continues to show why he’s about to become the next big movie star.

It’s unclear what exactly Soderbergh was aiming for with Haywire. It’s neither a slam-bang, all-out action movie nor a thought-provoking spy thriller. What he’s delivered is a ho-hum film that should send Carano scrambling back toward the MMA circuit.

For showtimes for Haywire, click here.