'Contraband'

'Contraband' (R) (rental)-

Writer: Aaron Guzikowski based on movie "Reykjavik-Rotterdam"
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster, JK Simmons, Diego Luna, Lukas Haas

"Contraband" is one of those movies that you find while flipping through stations on cable. You stop and watch it because you are a fan of Wahlberg and a lot of movie fans are. You stop because it looks like a neat, little crime, heist movie. You finish watching it and in the morning you don't remember anything about it. It was entertaining while you watched it as long as you don't think about it too much after and with "Contraband" you won't. I am not saying it is a weak or bad movie, I did like a lot of it and I like that it had somewhat of a brain and was complicated but it isn't memorable.

The plot would not make sense if I explained it fully and I would give away some of the twists. Let's just say Mark Wahlberg plays a former criminal who tries to go legit but crime tries to pull him back in! His brother-in-law has screwed up a cocaine drug heist and the bad guy in charge wants him or Wahlberg's character to play. Then this psycho bad guy brings Wahlberg's character's family into it and threatens them. The wife is played by Kate Beckinsale and I like her but anyone could have played this role. There are two bad guys, one that is weak and over the top and played with a screeching accent by Giovanni Ribisi. The other one is played by one of my favorite new actors in Ben Foster. Foster brings subtle evil and intensity to his bad guy, Ribisi overacts and comes off goofy instead of threatening.

I like Wahlberg in this movie as I always like him in everything. He is a very likable guy and I rooted for him here even though I didn't get totally into the movie. I love the Mark Wahlberg of "The Fighter" a lot and if light, "B" movies like this make Wahlberg get the green light on deeper movies then "Contraband" is alright by me. "Contraband" has some good shootouts, dialogue and chase/fight scenes. It has a likable Mark Wahlberg and a very effective and deeply acted bad guy in Foster. I also absolutely love the location work of New Orleans and Panama City. Mark Wahlberg movies always have great location work and the gritty location work here seems like another character. So when you are watching cable one night and "Contraband" comes on check it out.

P.S. Better crime thrillers and Mark Wahlberg movies than "Contrband" which you can watch on DVD with "Contraband" are "The Fighter", Michael Mann's "Thief", "Heat" and "Collateral".