Homefront (2013 film)

Last updated

Homefront
Homefront promotional poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Gary Fleder
Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone
Based onHomefront
by Chuck Logan
Produced by
  • Sylvester Stallone
  • Kevin King Templeton
  • John Thompson
Starring
Cinematography Theo van de Sande
Edited byPadraic McKinley
Music by Mark Isham
Production
companies
Distributed by Open Road Films
Release date
  • November 27, 2013 (2013-11-27)(United States)
Running time
100 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million
Box office$51.7 million

Homefront is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and written by Sylvester Stallone, who also produced the film with Kevin King Templeton and John Thompson. The film, which is based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Logan, stars Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth. In the film, Phil Broker, a retired DEA agent, leads a peaceful life with his daughter Maddy, but trouble ensues as Broker and Maddy gets entangled with Gator, a crime boss, due to a school bullying incident.

Contents

Filming began on October 1, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Homefront was released on November 27, 2013. [2]

Plot

Phil Broker, a DEA agent, raids a methamphetamine lab owned by Danny T, a biker gang boss, and retires from the agency. Broker moves to a small Louisiana town with his daughter Maddy. One day, Maddy gets into a schoolyard fight with a bully, Teddy Klum, and Broker is called to her school. As they prepare to return home, Teddy's mother Cassie instigates a fight between her husband and Broker, which Broker wins easily. An enraged Cassie asks her brother Gator, a crime boss running a meth lab, to intimidate Broker.

While working, Broker's friend Teedo warns him that the locals might engage in an old-school fight and not to trust them. When Broker and Maddy go horseback riding, Gator breaks into their house, kidnaps Maddy's cat Luther, and finds old DEA personnel files. Gator discovers that Broker was responsible for Danny T's arrest, which resulted in the death of Danny T's son. Hoping to expand his influence, Gator and his girlfriend Sheryl tip off Danny T, who sends members of his gang to kill Broker.

Meanwhile, Broker attempts to smooth over the situation with Teddy's family, and Maddy invites Teddy to her birthday party. As tensions between the two families slowly ease, with Teddy and Maddy even becoming friends, Gator warns Cassie to stay away from Broker. Broker's DEA contacts warn him that Gator may be involved with Danny T. Later, Broker heads to Gator's meth lab and sets traps, but he is subdued and tortured by Gator's thugs. Broker manages to escape, defeat his captors, and recover Luther. However, before he and Maddy can leave town, the gang members and Sheryl arrive. Though Broker ambushes and kills most of the gang members, Teedo gets injured while warning Broker and Maddy.

During the firefight Sheryl kidnaps Maddy in a boat, who uses her dad's cell phone to call Broker. From Maddy's descriptions, Broker realizes that Maddy has been taken to Gator's meth lab. Cassie arrives at Gator's warehouse after hearing news of the gunfight, where she is horrified to find Maddy there. Cassie angrily confronts Gator and demands to release Maddy, before accidentally setting off Broker's traps and causing the entire building to explode into flames. Disgusted with her brother, Cassie attempts to flee with Maddy, leading to a struggle in which Gator accidentally shoots Cassie.

Gator flees with Maddy in his truck, with Broker in pursuit. When Broker crashes his car, Gator prepares to shoot him, but is distracted by Maddy whom he attempts to force back into his truck. Taking advantage of the distraction, Broker frees himself and savagely beats Gator before reuniting with Maddy. Gator and Sheryl are arrested, while Teedo and Cassie are taken to the hospital. Later, Broker visits Danny T in prison, letting him know that he will be around when Danny T is eventually released.

Cast

In addition, Marcus Hester portrays Jimmy Klum, Omar Benson Miller plays Teedo, and Chuck Zito appears as "Danny T" Turrie.

Production

Sylvester Stallone wrote the script, which is based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Logan. The film was originally intended to have Stallone in the lead role, but Stallone stayed on as the producer and passed on the lead role to Jason Statham. [3]

Reception

Box office

Homefront grossed $20.2 million in the United States and Canada and $31.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $51.7 million, against a budget of $22 million. [4] It opened at number 5 at the US box office in its first weekend, and spent its first three weekends in the top 10 at the US box office. [5]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 42% of 116 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.0/10.The website's consensus reads: "While it boasts a capable cast, the disappointingly dull Homefront hearkens back to classic action thrillers without adding anything to the genre." [6] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 40 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [7]

Scott Foundas of Variety notes the reliable presence of Statham, but blames director Gary Fleder for "making an incoherent jumble of most of the action scenes". He calls Bosworth's performance the film's "greatest surprise", and Franco's performance as its "biggest disappointment". Foundas calls the film "surprisingly joyless" and "less than the sum of its parts." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvester Stallone</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1946)

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards. Stallone is one of only two actors in history to have starred in a box-office No. 1 film across six consecutive decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clandestine chemistry</span> Illegal preparation of chemicals

Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market. Smaller labs can be run by individual chemists working clandestinely in order to synthesize smaller amounts of controlled substances or simply out of a hobbyist interest in chemistry, often because of the difficulty in ascertaining the purity of other, illegally synthesized drugs obtained on the black market. The term clandestine lab is generally used in any situation involving the production of illicit compounds, regardless of whether the facilities being used qualify as a true laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Statham</span> English actor (born 1967)

Jason Statham is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, gritty, or violent. Statham has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2010s. His film career through 2017 generated over $1.5 billion in ticket sales, making him one of the film industry's most bankable stars.

<i>Spun</i> 2002 film by Jonas Åkerlund

Spun is a 2002 American black comedy crime drama film directed by Jonas Åkerlund from an original screenplay by William De Los Santos and Creighton Vero, based on three days of De Los Santos's life in the Eugene, Oregon drug subculture. It features an ensemble cast, including Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit, Peter Stormare, Alexis Arquette, Deborah Harry, Rob Halford, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, Nicholas Gonzalez, Brittany Murphy, and Mickey Rourke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Ayer</span> American filmmaker

David Ayer is an American filmmaker known for making crime films that are set in Los Angeles and deal with gangs and police corruption. His screenplays include Training Day (2001), The Fast and the Furious (2001), and S.W.A.T. (2003). He has also directed Harsh Times (2005), Street Kings (2008), End of Watch (2012), Sabotage (2014), and The Beekeeper (2024). In 2016, he directed the superhero movie Suicide Squad from the DC Extended Universe, and then the urban fantasy film Bright (2017) for Netflix. He has twice collaborated with actor Shia LaBeouf: first with the World War II drama Fury (2014), then the crime thriller The Tax Collector (2020). He has also collaborated with his friend Cle Shaheed Sloan who has appeared in four of his films.

Gary Fleder is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His most recently completed film, Homefront, was released by Open Road Films and Millennium Films in November 2013. In recent years he has been a prolific director of television pilots.

<i>Breaking Bad</i> American crime drama television series (2008–2013)

Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White, an underpaid, dispirited high-school chemistry teacher struggling with a recent diagnosis of stage-three lung cancer. White turns to a life of crime and partners with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, to produce and distribute methamphetamine to secure his family's financial future before he dies, while navigating the dangers of the criminal underworld. Breaking Bad premiered on AMC on January 20, 2008, and concluded on September 29, 2013, after five seasons consisting of 62 episodes.

"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American television crime drama series Breaking Bad. The episode was directed and written by series creator and showrunner Vince Gilligan. It first aired on AMC on January 20, 2008.

Walter White (<i>Breaking Bad</i>) Breaking Bad character

Walter Hartwell White Sr., also known by his alias Heisenberg, is the fictional antihero turned villain protagonist of the American crime drama television series Breaking Bad, portrayed by Bryan Cranston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Schrader</span> Fictional character in the television crime drama series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul

Henry R. "Hank" Schrader ASAC is a fictional character in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad and a supporting character in its spin-off series Better Call Saul. He is portrayed by Dean Norris and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan. Hank's character development over the course of the series and Norris's performance have been critically acclaimed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Pinkman</span> Fictional character of the television drama series Breaking Bad

Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character in the American crime drama television series Breaking Bad, portrayed by Aaron Paul. He is a crystal meth cook and dealer who works with his former high school chemistry teacher, Walter White. Jesse is the only character besides Walter to appear in every episode of the show. Paul reprised the role for the 2019 spin-off sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, set after its finale, and again in 2022 for the sixth and final season of the spin-off prequel sequel series Better Call Saul, being one of the few characters to appear across both shows and the movie.

"End Times" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on October 2, 2011. GQ and Salon.com named "End Times" as one of the best television episodes of 2011.

<i>The Expendables 2</i> 2012 American action film by Simon West

The Expendables 2 is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel to The Expendables (2010), and is the second installment in The Expendables film series. The film stars an ensemble cast of largely action film actors consisting of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the film, The Expendables undertakes a mission which evolves into a quest for revenge against rival mercenary Jean Vilain, who murders one of their own men and threatens the world with a deadly weapon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Fring</span> Fictional character in the Breaking Bad franchise

Gustavo Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the Breaking Bad franchise, serving as the main antagonist in the crime drama series Breaking Bad and a major character in its prequel Better Call Saul. He is a Chilean-American businessman and major narcotics distributor in the Southwestern United States who uses several legitimate businesses, including a chain of successful fast food restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos and an industrial laundry facility called Lavandería Brillante, as fronts used to launder money for a vast drug operation.

<i>The Expendables 3</i> 2014 film by Patrick Hughes

The Expendables 3 is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone. It is the third installment in The Expendables franchise and the sequel to The Expendables (2010) and The Expendables 2 (2012). The film features an ensemble cast of largely action film actors consisting of Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

<i>Reach Me</i> 2014 American film

Reach Me is a 2014 American drama film directed and written by John Herzfeld. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Kyra Sedgwick, Terry Crews, Thomas Jane, Kevin Connolly, Lauren Cohan, Kelsey Grammer, and Tom Berenger. The film was produced by Rebekah Chaney, Cassian Elwes, Buddy Patrick, John Herzfeld.

Granite State (<i>Breaking Bad</i>) 15th episode of the 5th season of Breaking Bad

"Granite State" is the fifteenth and the penultimate episode of the fifth season of the American television crime drama series Breaking Bad. It is the 61st and penultimate episode of the series. The episode was directed and written by Peter Gould. It aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on September 22, 2013.

The Marine is a series of action films produced by WWE Studios starring various WWE wrestlers in the lead roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Ehrmantraut</span> Fictional character from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul

Michael Ehrmantraut is a fictional character portrayed by Jonathan Banks in the television series Breaking Bad and its spinoff prequel Better Call Saul. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer and United States Marine Corps veteran who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodman—as a private investigator, head of security, cleaner, and hitman. While an officer in Philadelphia, he engaged in corrupt activities that indirectly led to the death of his son Matt, leading Mike to move to Albuquerque to watch over and financially support his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee through jobs in the criminal underworld.

References

  1. "HOMEFRONT (15)". Lions Gate Entertainment. British Board of Film Classification. October 9, 2013. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  2. Open Films (June 20, 2013). "Open Road Pushes Back Machete Kills and Homefront". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Scott Foundas (November 21, 2013). "Film Review: 'Homefront'". Variety . Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  4. "Homefront". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  5. "Homefront". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved April 24, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  6. "Homefront". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 24, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  7. "Homefront". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 24, 2024.