Another in a series of forgettable Jason Statham action films, Homefront reminds us we’ve had a clear changing of the guard. I don’t say it’s a good change; I don’t say it’s a bad change. Just a change. Here’s a script penned by Sylvester Stallone from his personal set of magic crayons about a single father ex-cop who’s just tryin’ to live his life in peace. Tell me that isn’t a Stallone role, huh? Problem is, Sylvester Stallone can’t logically have a child under the age of 50 these days, so the protective single father thing doesn’t wash. Gotta invoke the next generation, and maybe even the one beyond that.
In the opening scenes, undercover agent Phil Broker (Statham) poses as either a biker or a Metallica roadie. This is Jason’s version of branching out. After a tough bust, we catch Phil (really? “Phil?” Never seen anybody who looked less like a Phil) hanging out in rural Louisiana (Did the bayous give a frequent filming discount this year or something?). We catch a scene from daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic) getting picked on at school. This is one of those classic movie fights, where the big, ugly child is 100% the aggressor and promptly gets 100% of his ass handed to him by the girl he’s ill-chosen to annoy. And as if this lopsided bit on cinematic justice weren’t enough, it is repeated by the fathers once Statham shows up. It’s probably 
at this point where you realize that Stallone wrote the movie for Stallone.
Unfortunately, the double ass-kickings have attracted the attention of Cassie (Kate Bosworth), the hopped-up, shrill, emasculating shrew of a she-beast and one of the worst characters brought to life on film in 2013. She escalates by getting her drug-dealing warlord brother “Gator” (James Franco) to get involved and before you know it … Wait. What is James Franco doing in this film? Did he lose a bet? And Winona Ryder is there, too, playing bayou trash and trying desperately to cash in on facial recognition of some sort. By the time you get to her, you probably should have walked out already.
Homefront is fairly paint-by-numbers – the locals give it to Statham; he gives it back. It bugs me that Phil Broker here represents exactly the kind of guy stereotypical gun-totin’ Southerners laud these days – quiet, unassuming, truck-drivin’, responsible, kick-ass, self-made and reserved-friendly. And yet, the “typical” denizens do nothing but hound in this film. I don’t think Homefront is a fair representation of the South, kickboxing, introversion or even Statham for that matter. You gotta be a real fan to choose this one.
Jason’s just an ordinary guy
Past gone, he’s trying to get by
His good ol’ boy Chevy
Battling Franco the heavy?!
Now that, I just cannot buy
Rated R, 100 Minutes
D: Gary Fleder
W: Sylvester Stallone
Genre: The harassed stranger
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Sylvester Stallone, imagining he’s the hero
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Sylvester Stallone, realizing he’s not
