Blitz - 2011

Lionsgate, Davis-Films, Current Entertainment

Directed by Elliot Lester

Cast:

• Brant – Jason Statham
• Nash – Paddy Considine
• Weiss – Aiden Gillen
• Falls – Zawe Ashton
• Dunlop – David Morrisey
• Radnor – Ned Dennehy
• Roberts – Mark Rylance

Story: Someone nicknamed the Blitz, is killing police officers in London. Only problem is, he is doing a bang up job of it. A detective, Brant, is assigned to the case, but is told to be inconspicuous if he can, since the police are getting a lot of heat in the papers about their brutality. Brant has just returned from suspension and taking some time off to help his inspector, Roberts, bury his wife. Blitz wants the publicity and contacts a local reporter, Dunlop, who sits on his contact information. Then a street informant, Radnor, discovers information about Blitz's identity and tries to shake down the newspaper for a reward. Again, Dunlop tries to use the information before notifying the police. Meanwhile, other police officers are killed. When Dunlop finally does reveal his knowledge to the police, Blitz has had time to hide all the evidence. But the police are not done yet.

Review: I guess London needed a Dirty Harry, so they came up with this one. Jason Statham is an English Clint Eastwood/Bruce Willis combo in this action packed thriller about a cop killer on the loose. Paddy Considine does an excellent job portraying the temporary station commander who is assigned after the current commander, played by Mark Rylance, is placed on bereavement leave after the death of his wife. Aiden Gillen is Blitz, the cop killer with a mission of vengeance for the officers who incarcerated him before. Overall, the plot is nothing new, the good guys are chasing the bad guy, life goes on, and good triumphs over evil. But the action scenes are crisp and well done, as is the photography. This is not the glitzy, shiny world of 007, where everyone dresses to the nines and the royals are out on display. These are the mean streets of London, and Jason Statham is the cop who breaks the rules to keep the citizens safe. Rated R for violence, some nudity, language, and some drug use, this one is definitely not a collectible, but worth an evenings entertainment.