Director Mark Polish brings together one of Hollywood’s sons and action icons for his latest action film, “Alarum,” from Lionsgate. Alexander Vesha pens the film’s script, which centers on two married spies caught in the crosshairs of an international intelligence network that will stop at nothing to obtain a critical asset.
Joe (Scott Eastwood) and Lara (Willa Fitzgerald) are two former spies who fell in love after Lara was assigned to kill Joe but ultimately couldn’t go through with it. A few years later, the now-married couple lives off the grid. Their quiet retreat at a winter resort is shattered when members of the old guard suspect they may have joined an elite team of rogue spies known as ALARUM. As the duo works to uncover the truth, they must contend with gangster Orrin (Mike Colter), while Joe’s former mentor, Chester (Sylvester Stallone), has been tasked with taking him down.
“Alarum”‘s script follows the template of most movies involving spies off the grid. We meet our heroes in their prime; they tire of the killing game and admire their peaceful tranquility, an event that pulls them back in. Naturally, the script finds a way to separate the couple before bringing them back together for the big finale.
On the one hand, this was a wise choice as it gave our leads a chance to show off their athleticism in dispatching. Fitzgerald eschews the same badass heroine vibes she did in the series “Reacher” and last fall’s suspenseful “Strange Darling” while Eastwood brings his usual everyman charm to the film. Between the do, Fitzgerald was a bit stronger in dispatching the butt-kicking.
Stallone fans should be aware that his role in the film is relatively small despite his prominently featured on the poster. He appears to fulfill a contractual obligation, giving the impression that he is only there for that reason. Similarly, the usually reliable Mike Colter turns in a cliched performance as a crime lord with a lousy accent. The rest of the supporting cast includes Isis Valverde and DW Moffett, who turn in the standard performances one would get from a film like this.
For the most part, the film delivers on the action front, although the editing could have been tightened in the third act, as the CGI in some scenes is noticeable. The film’s ending also hints at a sequel, which I wouldn’t mind seeing if only to see Stallone and Fitzgerald tag team taking down some foes.
While “Alarum” follows the typical action tropes, fans of the cast should find something enjoyable in the film,
Final Grade: C-
“ALARUM” will be in Theaters, On Digital, and On Demand on January 17.
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Civil War dramas often measure valor through cannon fire and cavalry charges. However, “The Gray House*“valuates valor through coded messages, calculated risks, and the steady nerves of women who understood that information could be deadlier than any rifle. This eight-episode limited series reframes the conflict not from the battlefield, but from the drawing rooms of Richmond, where loyalty is performed, and survival depends on silence.
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