Contraband

Yet another enjoyable time killer popcorn movie. You kind of have to know what to expect with movies released in the months before May, and when they hit the rental shelves 4 months later, we just hope it will be good entertainment for the hard earned dollar we spend on it. I did not know a lot about this film, but what I did know made it an easy decision to watch. The cast alone. Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, and Ben Foster. We get a lot of info quickly about Chris' (Wahlberg) past. This  type of plot development lends itself to a movie like this, so they can fill their time with action and plots, rather than back story. Chris was a smuggler. Actually, he was the best, but he put that behind him. He is married with kids and a legitimate business. No need to fret on the past. His brother in law however is not that smart and when he dumps his load, much like Han Solo did to Jabba the Hut, things turn very badly. Carbonite doesn't exist yet, so death is the consequence for not delivery the goods to the dealer. Unfortunately in an ass backwards world of thuggery and drugs, the debt he owes will not die with him. It is absorbed by next of kin which is Chris and his family. Ribisi plays said Dealer and with his high pitched voice, greased back hair, grisley beard, and neck tattoos he is scary as hell, but the twist is what brings it full circle. I liked the twist, because it made it way more intense. Chris must go on a tanker to Panama and smuggler enough Contraband back into the states to cover the debt. What's the saying? anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. This turns an hour long film into an hour and forty very enjoyable minutes. Chris must protect his family at all costs, but also not get caught, which would land him in jail for life. Very fun, and sometimes extremely intense, I recommend this to any fans of Wahlberg's catalog of films. This falls in line with the style of movies he does, so enjoy.

NBM rates Contraband - Awesome