'Homefront' DVD Review: Jason Statham Leads The Action In This Fight-Filled Flick

Jason Statham stars in the action-packed Homefront, a sure favorite of anyone who enjoys tons of hand-to-hand combat sequences.

Statham plays Phil Broker a single father and former DEA agent who moves to a small town with his daughter after the death of his wife. Broker knew that his wife would have wanted the family to live in the town where she grew up, so he decides to raise Maddy (Izabela Vidovic) in the rural country with horses and open spaces. Broker and his daughter seem to have great relationship, but when an altercation between Maddy and a school bully leads to a cross-town family feud, Cassie Klum (Kate Bosworth), the mother of the bully, enlists her infamous brother Morgan aka Gator (James Franco) who is known for his shady ways and scary tactics around town.

Gator gets Broker’s attention, and Broker uses his connections in the agency to look up Gator’s record and finds out that he is dealing with a big time meth dealer. Gator does some investigating of his own and finds out that Broker’s mysterious reputation around town is the result of an explosive past that involved infiltrating a ferocious biker gang with which Gator has connections. Gator orchestrates a plan to benefit his meth-selling business and get rid of Broker. The result is a high-octane plot that involves Gator and his affiliate Sheryl (Winona Ryder) trying to get rid of Broker, and Broker trying to protect his daughter.

The film plays on the theme of a man who rises to the occasion when called into action. Broker is a mild-mannered guy who has a crazy past, but is content with living in the country doing blue-collar work while raising his daughter and their horses. His character is sympathetic and so is his daughter, especially after we see her stand up and put down the bully at school. The film could’ve shown the bond between Broker and his daughter a bit more as there was some clear chemistry there. Additionally, the idea of Broker dating Maddy’s teacher Ms. Hetch (Rachelle Lefevre) is thrown out a few times, but then abandoned later on in the movie. The love story would’ve added another layer to Broker’s character and his appeal.

Overall Homefront is suspenseful and very entertaining. Franco’s southern accent is at times rather comical, but passable nonetheless. The DVD earns three out of five stars and is worth renting. The deleted scenes add a little extra if the audience craves more Statham action.