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Denzel Washington could very well be one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood. When Denzel shows up in a movie, you pretty much know what to expect: an action-packed crime thriller with one cool star. And—no surprise—that’s exactly what you’ll get from his latest, Safe House.
Washington stars as Tobin Frost, a former CIA agent who went rogue nine years ago. Since then, he’s done an excellent job of avoiding capture—until, one day, he simply walks into the American consulate in Cape Town and gives himself up.
Baffled by Frost’s decision, the CIA scrambles to put together a plan. He’s quickly sent to a safe house managed by Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a rookie agent who’s eager to move on to bigger and better assignments. Once the interrogation begins, though, a team of armed men attacks the safe house, killing everyone but Weston and Frost.
On the run with one of the CIA’s most wanted men, Weston is determined to do his job and bring Frost in for questioning—but he soon learns that there are very few people he can trust.
Like just about any other Denzel Washington movie, Safe House is a boilerplate crime thriller. The action is nearly non-stop as the nervous rookie and the seasoned ex-agent race through Cape Town—from bustling city streets to crowded shanty towns to remote country hideouts. There are car chases and chases on foot, chases on the ground and chases along rooftops. There are shootouts and fistfights and surprise attacks galore.
What you won’t find here, however, is a whole lot of story. Plotwise, Safe House is about as basic as it gets. Frost is a rogue agent who’s being chased by some random bad guys for some unknown reason (though it probably has something to do with some intel he bought from an MI6 agent). And Weston just wants to do his job and bring him in. That’s about it. There’s very little character development—which makes things rather frustrating for those of us who like to know why they should care about a character’s survival. Then again, perhaps you’re just supposed to consider your love of Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in general (though, while you’re doing so, the director asks that you kindly forget about Green Lantern and The Change-Up) and attach that to their characters.
Of course, that theory might just work. After all, it’s hard not to love Washington’s character simply because he’s played by Denzel Washington. The reliable star is as smooth as ever, his cool, confident smile easily compensating for his character’s lack of development.
Washington’s fans will be perfectly satisfied by this reliable but generally uninspired crime thriller. But if you’re looking for an action-packed film with a little bit of plot—well, you might just have to wait until summer.
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