It's can seem a bit awkward when you walk into a retailer and begin looking at the unknown movies that recently hit the rack. While most people flock to the big blockbusters, there are few that take the time and energy to check out the little known, unheard of films which pop up each week on the retail shelves. Sadly, this means far too many people will probably miss Momentum, the latest film from first-time director Stephen S. Campanelli, whose past work behind the camera can be found in such fan-favorite films as TRON: Legacy], The Maze Runner and American Sniper.
Campanelli has a great eye for action (he's one of Clint Eastwood's go-to camera operators!) and here he an a good cast to actors to work with, including Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) staring as Alex Farraday as a former master thief come out of retirement. Farraday steals something that, unfortunate for all involved, reveals some unsavory secrets about people in the highest seats of power. Enter a bunch of government bad guys trying to steal the secrets back - including one of my favorite actors, James Purefoy (Solomon Kane) - and you've got a cat and mouse movie with plenty of action, dynamic fight scenes and a lot of - dare I say it - momentum.
So the dialogue is a bit lacking at times and some of the flair Purefoy brings to the screen is lost (he's a brilliant actor when he is given a chance to shine); Momentum is far better than the standard "actioner of the week" and is a solid entry in the B-list action/thriller category this season. Did I mention Olga Kurylenko stars? She's beautiful and has a screen presence no matter the role; here, she proves she can be not just gorgeous eye-candy but run, throw a punch and take it to the bad guys. Finally, for those who enjoy Morgan Freeman no matter what he's doing, here he has a small but fun role as the main baddie calling the shots. As always, he looks great on screen and delivers a cool, calculated character that has you loving to hate him.
While Momentum won't be winning any awards, it's a great way to spend 96 minutes. Fun, violent and with plenty of action to keep you in your seat, Momentum is one of those awkward home video releases you should take the time to check out this week!
Momentum is available wherever fine home video is sold from Anchor Bay Entertainment and Starz Digital.
