Haywire (2012)

I really wanted to give this movie a shot, but I just couldn't make it happen.
I hit the 40-minute mark and started skipping through scenes just to get through it.
I don't know, man—it was just impossible to watch.

Man, after building up so much hype in my head, I walked away from this one feeling incredibly let down—it’s such a shame because the cast had so much untapped potential. The whole thing felt incredibly messy and disorganized; honestly, I was struggling just to keep track of who was fighting whom and what their actual motivations were. The absolute biggest sin you can commit with an action flick like this is making it boring as hell. Seriously, I was expecting explosions or thrills, but I definitely wasn't expecting to be bored to tears! Total flop.

silentcanyon58 said:The biggest problem with an action flick like this is that it’s boring as hell. Seriously, I was expecting anything else, but not a snooze fest! Total trash.

Yeah, boring. Insanely boring. I honestly can't believe how much potential they just flushed down the toilet.🙂
Another thing that ticked me off was the soundtrack. I get that this is the kind of vibe Soderbergh usually goes for, but here? It was totally unnecessary and super annoying. I actually thought about muting it, but I figured I might as well just turn the damn thing off instead.

I wonder if Mendes is gonna bring that same musical style to the next James Bond movie.🤣

Kevin Ward3 said:Yeah, it was boring—just incredibly dull—but honestly, I can't get over how much potential they just threw straight down the drain.🙂
What really got under my skin, though, was the soundtrack. I know that kind of melodic style is usually what Soderbergh goes for in his flicks, but here, it felt totally unnecessary and just plain grating. At one point, I actually considered hitting the mute button, but I ended up just turning the whole thing off instead.

Now I'm genuinely curious if Mendes is going to bring that signature musical vibe to the next James Bond movie.🤣

I have to admit, I didn't even catch the music myself (which is clearly a good thing!) because I was watching this sketchy low-quality rip where the audio was absolutely terrible. 🙂

And seriously, what was up with that sudden "Boo!" moment when Conor McGregor pops up on the beach at the end? WTF!? I was laughing my head off... 😕

I honestly don't even have the vocabulary to describe just how abysmal this movie is. 🙏 I was physically forcing myself to sit through it until the credits rolled—I was genuinely on the verge of just hitting the fast-forward button just to make the misery end sooner. It was that painful.

The lead actress is so utterly unconvincing that it’s almost impressive in its failure. There are specific scenes here so poorly executed they would put a bottom-tier, straight-to-DVD B-movie action flick to shame. Take, for instance, that opening sequence where she—completely lacking any sense of realism—beats her fellow agent in a diner, demands he hand over his car keys, and forces him to drive her away. Then you have that absolutely shameless, nonsensical dialogue between them while they're cruising in the car. 😲 And don't even get me started on the entire scene at her father's house. Or that bizarre, random cameo by Conor McGregor on the beach. What on earth were they thinking? 🙏

At one point, I actually found myself wondering if this was some kind of meta-joke—like, is it intentionally this bad? Is this supposed to be some sort of ironic "tribute" to those old Michael Dudikoff action flicks? Regardless of the intent, the film is a total disaster.

I can't quite decide what's worse: the direction, the script, or the lead actress's complete lack of presence. I can't settle on one; it's highly likely everything is equally terrible.

In general, Steven Soderbergh has never really managed to blow me away with his directorial flair, but this particular project is practically unwatchable.

The most enjoyable part of the entire experience was the closing credits, simply because I could finally breathe again now that the torture had concluded.

Rating: 1/10

I happened to catch an interview with the lead actress making her big film debut here
she mentioned how tricky it was to nail those fight sequences, especially since she’s actually a professional MMA fighter, so I suppose finding that perfect balance where things look intense without being overly aggressive was quite a challenge
it seems like that particular skill set might not be her primary forte 😂

from what I can gather, it looks like she intends to keep pursuing her acting career
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2101570/

Soderbergh's attempt at creating a female Jason Bourne is a total disaster—it’s poorly written, unnecessarily convoluted, and visually dull. While Paul Greengrass tended to overdo the shaky cam during action sequences, he knew how to steady it during the slower beats to find a decent middle ground; Soderbergh, however, just keeps the camera static and lifeless from start to finish. Not a single scene actually feels tense. To make matters worse, the soundtrack is a complete miss, failing to grab your attention and doing the exact opposite of what it should.

I mean, I gave it a shot and tried to follow along, and I guess the action sequences were somewhat decent enough, but the actual plot? It just didn't land for me at all.

Hopefully this new movie In The Blood turns out to be better; I'll definitely be checking it out. 🙂

I honestly don't see her ever making a comeback to the cage...
It looks more likely that we'll just be seeing her on screen in Fast and Furious 6 instead.

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/4/23/29...hnson-cast-mma

I'm just gonna copy and paste my review from another forum here. 😁

Haywire

Soderbergh's new thriller is a total marketing Hail Mary that completely misses the mark. They’re trying to sell this thing as some kind of new "female Bourne," but honestly? It’s just a total dud. Spy-vs-spy. It’s got that gritty, 70s exploitation thriller vibe, featuring a lead character that is dangerously monotonous.

Action! The directing is absolutely spot on—you barely notice any jump cuts, and the sense of space they create is just incredible. The cinematography looks stunning, too. Plus, it’s actually pretty cool seeing a more "realistic" fighting style from a pro like Gina Carano.

Most people are going to be hitting the fast-forward button for the rest of this movie. Honestly, that Monoton lounge-blaxploitation soundtrack plays through the entire thing, regardless of what’s actually happening on screen, which is just exhausting. Then you've got dialogue that nobody cares about and these bizarre plot holes that make zero sense. Like, why does an international spy agency need to hire one operative just to jump another one to death? Have they never heard of bullets, poison, or even just a staged accident? It's ridiculous.
The movie is walking a really thin line right now. It's definitely playing with fire. Ballistic He somehow managed to pull it off by some miracle (interestingly enough, Antonio Banderas is in this one too), but luckily, it doesn't turn into a total slog. You don't get that over-the-top Quentin Tarantino flair here, and those witty, sharp little moments you'd expect from him are nowhere to be found. CollateralI'm ready. Send over the content you need me to rework.

All in all...
2.5/5

John Peterson3 said:Soderbergh's attempt at crafting a female version of Jason Bourne is honestly a massive flop; the whole thing feels poorly written, unnecessarily muddy, and just plain sluggishly filmed. While Paul Greengrass used to shake things up with that shaky cam during the action beats—but then knew exactly how to steady it during the slower moments to find that perfect middle ground—Soderbergh just keeps the camera completely lifeless from start to finish. Not a single scene actually makes you feel like there’s any real tension building up. To top it all off, the music choice is just a total disaster; instead of cutting through the noise, it somehow manages to do the exact opposite of what it should.

Honestly, it’s kind of a shame because the fights actually look pretty realistic... I mean, I always imagined this is how combat should look when you aren't dealing with a frantic cut every two seconds and that hyper-aggressive editing style... but then again, I suppose that's not really what people are looking for in a high-octane action flick like this. 🙂

silentcanyon58 said:It’s actually pretty sad because the fights look realistic... I guess that’s how they should look when you don't have a cut every two seconds and frantic editing... then again, that's not really what I look for in an action flick like this. 🙂

The issue isn't just the rapid cutting; it's the total lack of energy during the fights. Even the cuts aren't the main problem—it's the camera work. Static shots from a few different angles feel dead. It doesn't even feel like a fight is happening, and the soundtrack certainly isn't helping.

This movie doesn't need Greengrass's quick cuts, shaky cam, or that specific Bourne score, but a little handheld movement here and there would have helped the pacing. As it stands, it lacks any momentum.

John Peterson3 said:It isn't really about how frantic the cuts are, but rather the total lack of energy when it comes to the fight scenes. Honestly, I don't think you even need that many cuts; what's actually missing is some decent camera movement. Those static shots from just a few different angles feel completely lifeless. I honestly don't get the feeling that a fight is even happening, and the soundtrack definitely doesn't help matters either.

I totally agree with you! This movie doesn't necessarily need those signature Paul Greengrass style rapid-fire edits or that specific Bourne soundtrack, but adding a little handheld camera work here and there would have done wonders for the pacing. As it stands, it just feels flat.

And you hit the nail on the head there... you don't need a million cuts to make a fight sequence gripping to watch... I mean, just look at Old Boy as the perfect example of how to do it right. 🙂

silentcanyon58 said:You have a point there. You don't need a ton of cuts to make a fight sequence compelling. Take *Old Boy*, for example—it's a perfect case in point. 🙂

I haven't gotten around to watching Old Boy yet because of all the hype surrounding it. Even Battle Royale kept me at arm's length for a while, though I eventually watched it out of pure boredom and ended up being impressed. I guess I'm just not sure what to expect from Old Boy.

If you want a decent example of a well-shot fight scene, look at the moment that blond guy crashes through the window in The Bourne Identity. It relies too heavily on quick cuts in the older stuff, but once the action moves into the room, it hits major league status. There's a simple reason for that.

What makes this fight so dynamic is how Joseph Morgan keeps the camera circling the characters. They stay centered in the frame while the background constantly shifts around them. The quick cuts add energy, but that continuous movement is what really makes the scene fantastic.

The only thing missing is a bit less dancing and a lot more clinching. It’s been a while since I’ve actually grappled outside of sparring, but if my memory serves, most fights boil down to forcing your way inside before the strikes even start flying.

Regardless, that fight serves as my blueprint for how to execute a dynamic action scene.

Comparing this scene to anything in Haywire makes the difference painfully obvious.

John Peterson3 said:I actually haven't sat down to watch Old Boy yet because I’ve been feeling a bit hesitant about all that extreme far-eastern style action. To be honest, I even stayed away from Battle Royale for the longest time, and then one day out of pure boredom I finally gave in, watched it, and was absolutely blown away! So, I really can't say how they handle things in Old Boy.

But if you want an example of a properly filmed fight scene, look at that moment in The Bourne Identity when the blond guy comes crashing through the window. In the older movies, there are way too many quick cuts, but once the fight moves into the room in that one, it hits major league status. There's a very simple reason for that.

What makes that fight feel so incredibly dynamic is the way Joseph Morgan constantly circles the characters with the camera. They stay centered in the frame, but the background is always shifting and moving around them. While those extra cuts they throw in definitely add some energy, it's that constant circling that makes the whole scene just spectacular.

If I had one critique, it would be that I'd love to see a little less dancing and a little more actual shoving. It’s been ages since I’ve been in a scrap myself—aside from some light sparring, of course—but what sticks in my mind from my own experience is that most real fights just turn into a messy scramble before any actual punches even start flying.

Anyway, for me, that specific fight serves as the gold standard for how to pull off a dynamic action sequence.

Just compare that one scene to anything in Haywire, and the difference is night and day.

The cool thing about Old Boy—you’ve probably heard or read this somewhere already—is that the main guy takes on about ten people at once, but the entire brawl is captured in one single, continuous shot that lasts quite a while... it’s a truly fascinating piece of filmmaking. 😉

I have to admit, I don't remember much about Bourne, whatsoever... and honestly, I didn't think it was a great movie anyway... except for Frank Potenta and Julia Stiles, of course...

Honestly, the way they directed the fights is probably my favorite part of the whole movie.
The lack of those annoying jump cuts and that "3D" sense of depth should be a huge plus, 😁and they definitely nailed it here.
Sure, the fighting itself isn't some over-the-top, flashy spectacle, but because of how the camera work is handled, it feels incredibly raw and believable.

I wouldn't take my eyes off Ginica for a second. I've been following her since her early MMA days—she just has that certain something that grabs you.

Betty Nelson71 said:Same here.😍

Total garbage.👎Haven't even made it to the part where Michael Fassbender shows up yet.☕The lead actress? Man, who even put her there. Seriously, how many guys did she have to sleep with just to land this gig? She’s like a female Steven Seagal, except at least Seagal can actually act a little.

Betty Nelson71 said:This movie was absolutely terrible👎, and honestly, I didn't even make it to the part where Fassbender shows up.☕I mean, who on earth cast the lead actress? It makes me wonder what kind of favors she had to pull just to land a role like this.

The film is total garbage, but maybe you could have actually looked into the lead actress and why she was chosen before posting such ridiculous nonsense.😉