Old school action thrillers are back in fashion in more ways than one. The latest of which happens to pit two veteran stars against each other in an international cat and mouse game with a lot at stake. So if you ever wondered what it would be like if Milla Jovovich took on Pierce Brosnan in a deadly chase, then you’d have to watch Survivor to find out.
The Story Kate Abbott (Jovovich), a State Department employee newly posted to the American embassy in London is charged with stopping terrorists from getting into the U.S. Her new role puts her right in the line of fire and she is targeted for death and framed for crimes by both the authorities and a mysterious assassin known as The Watchmaker (Brosnan). Discredited, she is forced to go on the run while she tries to clear her name and stop a large-scale terrorist attack, which she has to uncover by herself.
What Worked The old school low-tech approach to the film, which in essence just a high-stakes chase with the odds stacked tremendously against the heroine. It’s straightforward and engaging enough to lure you in wondering where this is going.
What Didn’t Survivor suffers from a few missing gaps in its storyline and it’s also filled with espionage thriller clichés like double crossing officials, a revenge subplot, stubborn government agents who refuse to listen, a maniacal villain and a relentless hero that’s driven to do the right thing no matter what.
Plus Points Jovovich and Brosnan playing against their typical roles, especially the latter who gets to portray a heartless baddie with a penchant for ending people in rather inventive ways.
Minus Points Open ended plot holes, the draggy pace of the film, and the downward spiral towards the pretty outlandish finale.
Conclusion If you like cold war thriller / terror plot films then Survivor deserves a sit through. But despite its impressive cast list, you can’t help but wonder if the film could have been so much more than what it is. Still, it’s still fun to see Jovovich and Brosnan go up against one another.