In the Blood 2014

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: There is an odd, even creepy, undercurrent in Ava's backstory that is both repellent and underdeveloped as an idea. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, Variety: The jaw-drop factor that comes from seeing Carano's moves is often spoiled because of too much cutting or, in the case of the dance club sequence, excess strobing. Read more

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, AV Club: Stockwell never manages to balance his affection for the Caribbean setting with suspense. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Carano is an impressive woman, but she's no Meryl Streep; and even Streep couldn't make a movie this by-the-numbers look like anything more than it is: violence with interruptions. Read more

Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com: Carano, a former mixed-martial artist, won't be vying for an Oscar any time soon but she can more than hold her own as an action star. She deserves a bigger canvas on which to show off her skills. Read more

Martin Tsai, Los Angeles Times: Though lacking marquee names, the film measures up to the typical Hollywood action-thriller in just about every other bailiwick. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: This isn't much more than a straight-forward, get-the-baddies action flick. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Stockwell understands most of all that we don't need Carano to talk; we need her to kick ass. Read more

Andy Webster, New York Times: "In the Blood" does Ms. Carano (and Caribbean tourism) few favors. Somebody, please give her a better script and director. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: In the Blood is generic B-movie fare, bloody and, alas, increasingly dumb. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The script is smarter than it has to be, weaving a web of island corruption that's consistently surprising and moderately plausible, with rounded, juicy characters. Read more

John Semley, Globe and Mail: The closed-quarters combat crackles with bone-shattering believability. And that's really all that matters. Read more

Nick Schager, Village Voice: A grim, formulaic saga in desperate need of some genuine B-movie fury and flair. Read more

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: As is typical of the genre, the plot gets sillier as it unfolds, while the violence gets gnarlier. Read more