Welcome To The Punch (2013)

Welcome To My Review

Former criminal, Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong), is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) one last chance to catch the man he has always been after. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy they both need to solve in order to survive..

A British crime thriller taking its cues from films like Heat, Eran Creevy's films wears its influences proudly, but borrows too heavily, leaving the film feeling cliched as a whole.

Creevy's managed to put together a solid cast, avoiding the possibility of stereotypical Cockney 'ardmen like Danny Dyer and Vinnie Jones, instead going for the likes of Peter Mullan and David Morrisey. James McAvoy does good work in playing the lead role, hunting down his nemesis to nurse his bruised ego, and Mark Strong shines brightly, managing to be menacing even in the quieter moments for his character. Special mention must go to Johnny Harris, an underrated actor who did first rate work in This is England '86 and The Fades, and manages to give an unnerving performance as an ex-soldier.

The family photo was not going well

The glossy cinematography makes for a beautiful sight throughout and manages to work well with the wonderful action set pieces. The films weaknesses can be found within the script, including the aforementioned cliched feeling. The lack of underdeveloped characters makes for a lack of soul overall, while the plot manages to become increasingly muddled as the film goes on.

Welcome To The Punch won't be found on any best films lists anytime soon, but the lean 99 minute runtime does make for an entertaining and glossy ride, if not a forgettable one.