Review of The Foreigner (2017) by Melodicvirus — 19 Nov 2022

A provocative action-packed feature with some grimy violence, the Foreigner has some intense action sequences and a talented cast to boot. But the story and writing falls short of making this a complete experience, and might not be for everyone.

The action segments are well-directed, and also lead to some interesting set-pieces. Since the Foreigner was from the same mind that gave us Casino Royale, there's some stark similarities between the two that I personally enjoyed seeing.

I found the reversed roles that both leads Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan act as to be very well done. Jackie Chan plays a more serious gritty veteran as opposed to his usual role as a sidekick or comedy star, whereas Pierce Brosnan sort of plays a foil / villain role to his usual routine of playing action stars such as James Bond.

I felt the film could've focused on the dynamics between the two lead roles a bit more, as much of the film's runtime revolves around this conspiracy between the UK / Irish politics and the splinter group IRA that didn't peak my interest all that much. It's satisfyingly woven together, but don't expect it to be perfect. I would highly recommend this film to fans of the action genre, or even fans of the Martin Campbell-directed Bond films GoldenEye or Casino Royale. It may not be a masterpiece in terms of storytelling, but it's a fine watch irrespective of its flaws.