2010 was a great year for Mark Wahlberg. He starred in two successful comedies, Date Night and The Other Guys, and turned his passion play The Fighter into an Oscar winner. He's been pretty quiet since then...until now in Contraband.
Contraband stars Wahlberg as Chris Farraday, a smugler that has since gone straight. When a botched job involving his brother-in-law lands the boy in the hospital, Chris attempts to appeal to Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), the man in charge. Briggs doesn't care about Chris's old street cred and blows off any chance in forgetting the whole thing. Backed into a corner, Chris must pull off one more heist to clear his family's name.
In January and February, many movies come and go without much fanfare. These films are usually not great and the studios just want to dump them quick for the return it may yield. This year looks different. Contraband is the first of many movies coming out the next two months that really has a shot at being legimate popcorn entertainment. Based on the Icelandic film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, it is a fun-filled heist/smuggling film perfect for these cold winter months. Wahlberg and Ribisi, and Ben Foster as Chris's friend Sebastian, are a delight to watch. The film doesn't take itself too seriously which allows the film to be both intense and playful throughout. Not a bad way to kill two hours. 3 out of 5 stars.
Check your local listings for showtimes and theaters (click here)
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