WELCOME TO THE PUNCH is a thrilling British action film.  It is about how justice twists some people and how it impacts others in their quest for justice.  Criminal mastermind Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) wants justice for the people set up his son (who got himself in trouble) while Detective Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) wants to bring Sternwood to justice after nearly catching him three years ago.  Max has an injury in his knee which requires him to take shots for on a daily basis (Sternwood shot Max in the knee after Max caught up to him).  His encounter with Sternwood has also psychologically scarred him. 

 

WELCOME TO THE PUNCH is a movie that starts out like a cop thriller only to turn into a conspiracy thriller.  Writer/ Director Eran Creevy have crafted an excellent and complex thriller while developing the characters along the way.  He lays out what makes Max and Sternwood tick while also giving other characters their little motives and motivations.  Max just wants to catch crooks while many of the cops and politicians around him will do anything to get justice even if it means creating a corrupted system.  Canary Wharf also lends to the production look for a movie made a on a small budget along with how they color graded it.   Add in a character driven script and slick direction and you get one of the best thrillers I have seen this year.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The making-of featurette has interviews with the cast, producers Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh, and director Eran Creevy and behind-the-scenes footage.  The director reveals how a limited budget forced him to rethink a scene into a smaller scene taking place in one room and shooting the action at 500 frames a second.  The producers also mention how Eran Creevy came up with the title for the movie.

 

Also there are several full interviews with various cast members (where only snippets of those interviews are shown in the making-of featurette)- Andrea Riseborough, Daniel Mays, David Morrissey, James McAvoy, Johnny Harris, Peter Mullan, and Mark Strong.  Andrea pokes fun at James McAvoy in her interview.  

 

Rounding out the extras is the trailer for WELCOME TO THE PUNCH and previews for other IFC releases (which play before the main menu).

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: WELCOME TO THE PUNCH is a must see thriller you should at least rent.  It is a well crafted and slick conspiracy thriller that is also a nice homage to Hong Kong crime thrillers.

 

This DVD review is (c)7-24-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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