The unlikely pairing of down-at-heel cage fighter/ex-cop Statham with a young Chinese girl with a prodigious mathematical ability (delightfully played by Catherine Chan) is curiously effective in this lean, dynamic action-thriller. The movie pits various factions against each other (Chinese and Russian criminal gangs, corrupt New York cops, an equally corrupt mayor), as the two lead characters' narratives collide and Statham becomes the girl's protector. The violence is swift and merciless, reminiscent of early John Woo movies, and although the early action set-pieces seem a little underwhelming, the second half of the movie improves considerably in this respect. Luke Wright seems like the kind of character that Statham plays all too easily, but in Safe the writing and back-story gives the actor the chance to develop some depth of emotion in the portrayal of a man who is literally down-and-out. The ending feels a bit rushed and motivations become murky and forced, but the economy of on-screen narrative and the overall drive of the movie more than compensate to provide an enjoyable genre movie.
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