Contraband 2012

Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine: Contraband's sense of humor is charmingly macho, real meat and potatoes stuff. Literally. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: A solid genre picture that knows exactly what it is, has no delusions of grandeur and carries out its task in entertaining and occasionally even suspenseful fashion. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: I don't know that a lot of "Contraband'' makes sense. But I'm not sure that it has to. Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: It's a good, chugging caper movie for the most part. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: Whether he's slowing down time or ignoring its rules altogether, Mr. Kormakur's eccentric pacing brings its own dividends, as does what really gets him going in the film. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: This is an uncommonly well-crafted action adventure, or an action misadventure, given how much goes wrong for the resourceful hero. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Contraband has a few moments of tension, but it adheres to a predictable heist formula hardly worth trafficking in. Read more

Soren Anderson, Seattle Times: It's a thriller distinctly lacking in thrills. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: Kormakur and his collaborators want to tell a simple story cleanly, efficiently, and with a refreshing dearth of frills. They more or less realize their aspirations because they aim so low. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: As mindless action capers go, "Contraband" is a little less mindless than some. Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: Several graphically violent scenes of women and children in jeopardy make this, ultimately, beneath contempt. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Wahlberg has the presence, the glower and the laconic line readings to guide us through a mess of pain, painlessly. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: "Contraband" comes off the factory floor with its engine running and ready to drive. But the ride feels overly familiar. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Contraband, while often grungy and far-fetched, does keep you watching. And in January, that's recommendation enough. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: The gritty style only accentuates the increasingly far-fetched dramatics in Contraband, an involving, atmospherically grungy mid-register thriller. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: This very gritty bit of greased action does a decent job of shaking the sluggish out of January. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: There's a frothy, almost whimsical undercurrent quietly bubbling beneath the dead-serious story. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Everyone needs a little action now and then, right? Unfortunately, a little action is all you'll get. Read more

David Denby, New Yorker: A winter-season product, but perfectly absorbing once it gets going. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Frankly, Wahlberg has outgrown movies like this. And so have we. Read more

Scott Tobias, NPR: Contraband is a film to be remembered, vaguely. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: "Contraband" aims to be dumb fun but gets only the first half right. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: With his Popeye biceps and broody stares, [Wahlberg] can do a character like Chris without even thinking about it - and that's what he does here. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Contraband is the kind of thriller that offers just enough in the way of effective elements to assemble a two-minute trailer. Read more

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: This is a first-rate action film with a great cast, a talented director and a strong script. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: "Contraband" involves a lot of energy, but I'm getting tired of violent retreads of these heist elements. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Wahlberg could sleepwalk through this role, and does. See this movie and you'll surely follow his lead. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: It's exactly the sort of movie that Hollywood specializes in, the kind which seems on paper as if it ought to be entertaining, but winds up a massive and chaotic drag. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: In order to pay it forward, Wahlberg needs to direct it somewhere else, and on and on, until every country has a version of this thing. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: If you enjoy watching Mark Wahlberg do that action-movie thing he does, you could do worse than to spend your next plane ride watching Contraband. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: It's like an exciting police procedural turned on its head. Read more

Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail: Though it never quite has us by the lapels, the film is a solid, workmanlike action flick. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: And then there's the predictability of the "surprise" villain; I won't spoil it here, but if you don't guess who it is well before the reveal, then I sincerely hope you enjoyed seeing your very first movie. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: The result is unlikely to linger long in the memory, but it's enormous fun while it lasts... Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: It's a so-so heist actioner with some serviceable thrills and better-than-average stunt work that hangs on a formula plot punctuated with fits of disturbing violence aimed at women. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: Reasonably swift and effective. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Will there someday be a movie where the "one last job" goes off without a hitch? Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: "Contraband" is like an "Ocean's Eleven" movie, minus the glamour. Read more