Blitz Review

• 16th May 2011

A cop killer is out on the streets of London, seemingly blasting away police officers at random and trying to get a name for himself in the press. Enter Jason Statham and Paddy Considine who might just be able to do something about this street pest.

The upside of Blitz is that Statham, doing his best Statham impression, seems to be on more comfortable ground when at home. Bringing it back to the streets of London, he’s far more relaxed and open to all sorts of un-PC comments.

The downside is that the film flips between serious thriller and black comedy making it hard to settle in. The humorous parts work well, but when it’s asked to get serious – it’s a greater leap.

There are so many supporting characters that few get the time to register (David Morrissey barely has any screen time and Luke Evans comes in a little late in the game). The subplots are also sometimes tiresome; especially the officer who’s been through rehab having a relapse. It’s pretty unbelievable and regarding the selfish behaviour this character demonstrates towards others, you wonder why so many people are rallying around them acting as support. Aiden Gillen gives his titular role all he can and looks set to get a few calls in the future for bad guy roles.

Despite the Stath’s presence, don’t expect an action film – this isn’t a very action-oriented movie (I suspect budget constraints and minimal experience for such is what’s prevented that). There’s one elongated chase scene that’s fairly well executed – although it ends anti-climatically.

So another middle of the road Statham thriller – but one that has more character than normal and more cult appeal thanks to its big cast, setting and often funny dialogue.

Steven Hurst