Scott Waugh is the son of a stuntman and was himself a stunt performer. He became a filmmaker and one of his first noteworthy projects was Act of Valor (2012), which was a film that utilized real Navy SEALs in the cast and story. He hasn't directed many features since, but he's mainly handled action flicks like Expend4bles (2023). He's the younger brother of Ric Roman Waugh, another stuntman-turned-filmmaker who made a name for himself helming various Gerard Butler projects, such as Angel Has Fallen (2019) and Greenland (2020). Knowing the résumé of the Waugh brothers gives you an idea of what to expect in this production. Typically, the Waugh brothers' films center on a Navy SEAL or a military-type, a big, buff, or muscular beefcake who is often brooding and tough, as well as capable of fighting up a storm and demolishing anybody who gets in his way.
Both the Waugh brothers have worked with Jason Statham, which is who came to mind once this film began playing out. Early in Statham's film career, he starred in a series of films that started with The Transporter (2002), which was directed by French filmmaker, Louis Leterrier. It spawned two sequels, Transporter 2 (2005) and Transporter 3 (2008). There was a French-Canadian program, Transporter: The Series (2012), as well as a theatrical reboot, The Transporter Refueled (2015). That franchise was about a courier who drives his car, taking people or things from her to there, which often involve him getting involved with illegal or dangerous assignments. There have been plenty of action flicks involving men having to drive from here to there, but I make the link to The Transporter because this film by Scott Waugh specifically centers on a courier with a "French" connection, pun intended.
Alan Ritchson (Reacher and Blue Mountain State) stars as Hank Malone, a former Navy SEAL who works as a courier in Brisbane, Australia. He's a recovering alcoholic who has an ex-wife, as well as a dead daughter. As a result, he lives alone on a houseboat and has been alone for a year now. On the anniversary of his one-year sobriety, he gets a job to pick up a man carrying an organ transplant that's intended for a little girl. When a cartel targets them, trying to steal the organ transplant, Hank decides to fight the cartel by delivering the organ to the little girl no matter what. Obviously, the loss of his own little girl is motivating him, just as much as saving this new little girl. Ritchson does brooding very well. He also does action very well. He's occasionally given an opportunity to be funny, which he has always excelled at doing.
However, being funny in this film is really the role of Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers and The Royal Tenenbaums) who plays Ben Bishop. Ben is the legal courier of the organ transplant. Ben needs Hank simply to give him a ride to the hospital. When the cartel attacks, Hank becomes Ben's de facto bodyguard. Ben starts as a wordy, verbose, fast-talking and wise-cracking guy who is charming in an annoying kind of way. His personality clash with Hank is the source of the majority of the comedy in the early part. Wilson also brings the pathos by the end as well. It's a bit of a joke that Ben is the one pushing Hank to open up and share things, even though it's blatant empathy building.
Any action film will be judged by its action sequences. Obviously, this film is about a driver, so the car chases are important. Of course, the hand-to-hand combat and shootouts will be a factor too. There's one car chase that is very well shot in terms of the floating or flying camera. The camera slides almost magically from one moving vehicle to another. Other films have utilized such visual moves, but this one makes good use of the visual trick too. Like most action flicks, this one culminates in a mano-a-mano. The villain is a ruthless cartel operative named Damian, played by Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld and 300). He's particularly nasty, but the script does give him a layer that doesn't make him all evil, even though he does evil things. It makes the knockout, drag-out fight at the end satisfying though.
Leila George (Love Story and Animal Kingdom) rounds out the cast as Kate Baker, the mother of the little girl who needs the organ transplant. The film could've just made her the sad, suffering woman or the extension of the damsel-in-distress trope. Yet, the narrative gives Kate a lot more to do than I expected. It's surprisingly refreshing.
Rated PG-13 for strong violence, bloody images and some language.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 37 mins.
In theaters.
