When I think of two relatively young actors who actually give me chills I think of Ben Foster and Giovanni Ribisi. Looking at some of the characters they’ve played in the last ten years, it’s clear that these guys are either really good actors or really terrible people. It’s the former.

The opportunity to see both of them in a new Mark Wahlberg flick seemed like an ideal opportunity. Good guy Wahlberg vs. two nasty villains. I actually had no idea what Contraband was about only thinking it strange that Kate Beckinsale had second billing. (It’s not that I don’t think she’s worth that; it just seemed weird for a movie like this.) Needless to say, all-star caliber.

It’s too bad Contraband couldn’t have been better. Every actor is under utilized. Personally, I’m a Mark Wahlberg fan but haven’t been this disappointed in him since The Happening. Beckinsale doesn’t have much to do here but look pretty. She’s great at that, but is also a fine actor. Still, the biggest letdown is the evil: Foster and Ribisi. In the beginning, there’s promise. Ribisi as the bad guy threatening Wahlberg’s brother and family. But slowly, he and Foster fade into stock characters, something neither of them were meant to play.

The story is basic, but gets convoluted with too many unneeded subplots and lack of consistency. Why was there a police shootout? How much do we need to know about the boat? A Pollack? Really? Things that may seem like they pay off on paper really provide unnecessary resolution to the extra problems.

In a sense, dumbing down the plot and structuring it around the characters would have been the best remedy for Contraband. No one was expecting Drive, but these throwaway star studded action flicks have been fun to watch the last year or so (Limitless, Source Code, etc.) It would have been nice for Contraband to continue the trend. It doesn’t and disgraces it’s talent in the process.

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