(Older movie reviews with a new coat of paint)

When you sit down for dinner this weekend and start selecting your portions, keep a spot open in your stomach for this latest slice of Statham mayhem.  A throwback to the old school guns blazing bone crunching action flicks of the 80’s, this movie delivers on the promise it made in the trailer.  Bad ass Statham,a daughter, and lots of mistakes made by feeble bad men who think fighting this seasoned action stud is an easy task.

Mention Jason Statham and people either shake their head in disbelief or nod in approval.   I laugh when people associate his name with acting in these certain action showcases.  If you want to see him act, watch Snatch, Bank Job or Revolver.  If you want to see sit down and see him kick ass and take names, watch this movie.   He is so convincing during his fight scenes that he heightens the material.  Unlike most action stars who rely on hours of choreography and still look awkward, Statham is in his comfort zone when taking on 2-3 guys at a time.  Ever since he dished his first real kick in The Transporter, he has owned the action hero genre.  Sylvester Stallone seems to think so.  He wrote this film specifically for the bullet headed Brit and it shows.  This is the kind of vintage good/bad/ugly flick that Sly made an artform back in the day.  Statham is a necessary and reliable action hero.

James Franco lends comedic menace as the local meth dog, Gator and Kate Bosworth reaches for a nasty depravity that would never have been associated with the actress who once played Lois Lane.  My film-addict hat is always warmed by the sight of genuine treasure performer Frank Grillo.  Such a vicious presence in films like The Grey and End of Watch, Grillo plays a villainous biker here and will battle Captain America next month.  He is one of those faces you don’t soon forget.  The cast does their part here and that includes newcomer Izabela Vidovic, playing Statham’s tough daughter.

Homefront is the perfect delight for people seeking an escape around the holidays.  It’s fast paced, brutally action packed at times and carries a rage inside it.  Also, any film that begins and ends with The Black Keys classic rocker, “I Got Mine”, has its heart in the right place.  Fleder’s direction has enough flair to it and Stallone’s dialogue is full of macho gunpowder aided one liners.

Statham’s character is a good guy but carries a deadly ability to hurt people and watching that calm twinkle in his eye turn into barbaric unleashed rage fueled violence is something to behold.  After his meandering flop earlier this year, Parker, the man of action is back in Homefront.  As a man once told me after a movie, Jason Statham truly is something else.