'Safe House': The Reviews Are In

Denzel Washington returns as a cynical old pro who must work with a novice in order to survive. This time it's called "Safe House," and Washington plays a rogue CIA operative under the protection of a rookie, played by Ryan Reynolds.

"Safe House" has earned middling reviews, many of which take note of the film's similarities to both the "Bourne" franchise and Washington's previous work with director Tony Scott.

Here is our roundup of reviews for "Safe House":

The Story
"Washington plays the notorious Tobin Frost, a brilliant former CIA operative who's turned traitor, selling secrets to any nation or enemy cell willing to buy them. After years on the run, he turns himself in at the American embassy in Cape Town, South Africa. He's then taken to the local agency safe house where Reynolds, as the ambitious Matt Weston, is its bored, rookie minder. Matt longs to prove himself and see some real action in the field, and he gets it sooner than he expects when the house comes under a vicious, heavily armed attack and he and Tobin must go on the run together." — Christy Lemire, The[..]ociated Press

The Stars
"Mr. Washington, it almost goes without saying, is its anchor; when he's on screen everything seems to matter more, so much so that a prequel seems inevitable. How Frost became the man that he did is one of the mysteries, as is how well Weston and the actor playing him will rise to the occasion. Mr. Reynolds, whose curiously unsettled career is its own puzzle, here rises to meet Mr. Washington's challenge, investing Weston with a slow-building, believable vulnerability." — Manohla Dargis, New York Times

The Action
"The movie, as if on an action time clock, punches in the standard set pieces: bloody fights, clattering shoot-outs, an escape through a packed soccer stadium. Some of this stuff is well-done, and some of it has been done a lot better. Yet 'Safe House', even when it's pummeling you effectively, has very little up its sleeve. Basically, the movie is a fizzless 'Bourne' episode crossed with 'Training Day,' featuring Washington as a good-egg-gone-rotten who, you know, has his reasons. Mostly, he schools Matt, his guard-turned-pursuer, in what it means to lie." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The Director
"Director Espinosa shoots virtually everything in tight but wobbly close-up, and the human and vehicular combat often brakes right at the edge of visual incoherence. Just as often the brakes give out completely. Even at its most frantic and mechanical, the movie relies on Washington to provide a visual anchor, some sociopathic calm amid the storm." — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The Final Word
"Essentially a two-hour chase with a few brief breaks to catch its breath, 'Safe House' is an elemental cat-and-mouse game elaborated to the point of diminishing returns. Terse and understated, this is a spy vs. spy tale designed to minimize talk and maximize action, not at all a bad thing in movies but over-worked to near-exhaustion here." — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

'Safe House': The Reviews Are In! - MTV Movie News| MTV

I will be seeing it this Tuesday. The theatre by me has $5 Tuesdays. So if it does suck, I won't lose out on much.

I have only seen one Denzel movie i didnt like

he tied for my GOAT spot. im so pissed they put !!ing reynolds opposite him tho, why not a actor like Jeremy Renner?

or can you IMAGINE A LEO AND DENZEL THRILLER????

That would be THE !!!!!!

Ryan Reynolds can act when he wants to. The reviews are saying he's just as good as Denzel in this. The script is just the bad thing about it. I'll probably see this today. What was the Denzel movie you didn't like?

Reynolds is a great actor and there has been pretty much nothing but positive chatter about his role in this movie. It's the script and editing that is being criticized.

Reynolds gets such a bad wrap . The guy is a really good actor, he just picks bad movies.

Anyway, I'm still looking forward to watching this movie.

Going to see this when it drops..

This. I think sometimes he just wants to be in so MANY movies when he should really just pick and choose a little more. He's great at dark sarcastic (like in Blade Trinity) He's good in MOST comedies and he can pull off that Dark/Serious Role. I'm seeing this regardless. I've never been disappointed with a Denzel movie and don't expect to be by this one. Some of these reviewers are just too goddamn nitpicky

Going to see this tonight.

Will see next week.... Denzel Is perfecto when he play the bad guy role

I'm not a big movie watcher but one thing I do know is Ryan Reynolds is not a good actor.

He must have connections in Hollywood because he never fits the role he is playing..

The only thing I see him doing is dumb comedies..

jeremy renner?? what is dude the "it" boy now....

can't wait to see this.

Taking of whatever the !! 123

I hated that ending so much and i felt like it was a waste of time

Just saw this movie tho, If your not in to Action/Spy Thrillers you probably wont like it.

Denzel k!llED it. his mannerisms and demeanor >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reynolds was a lot better then i thought he would be but i just cant take him seriously sometimes.

The First scene with Denzel he just breaks a dudes neck like its nothing, no lie i was that !! who screamed "yeaaah, !! yeahhh" right after it happend

and the scene when Denzel dies is just , this man can make a action movie turn emotional real quick


I thought the story was good and the characters were real. definitely recommend it. If your a denzel stan youll !!ing love it. I creamed.

was this better then that pelham movie denzel was in.....that !! was trash

did you not see my post above the one about the movie.

thats the only denzel movie i hate.

of course it was, this !! was RAW.

I just got back from it.

The part near the end when the guys were just in the hallway and he walked across it twice and popped both guys >>>>

That's your fault you can't take Ryan Reynolds serious but he's a good actor. He just tends to pick bad or safe movies sometimes.

I thought the movie was better than the reviews give it credit for. 7.5/10 although it's predictable. The performances were pretty strong for the most part.

One part was irrelevant though during the chase scene the guy puts on his silencer, I was like wtf? Why would you try to be quiet when your car is already smashing through !! its not like nobody is watching you. That was a nitpick but still that was funny.

Outside the comedies he's pretty good or at least sufficient.