INTRODUCTION: I first saw this movie when Hubby and I were relaxing after dinner in a hotel room. We did a search for movies and since we both like action/adventure when we saw Blitz on the menu we decided why not. So glad we did. We watched it again the next night. I finally found the DVD last week and we have watched it several times. It’s a good flick. _____________________________________________

OVERALL: Gritty cop drama from England. Totally enjoyable with some great character twists.

POINTS: Technically very well made. Good script, acting, filming, it was believable. Plus throw in some fun and unexpected character choices and you have a recipe for success. This isn’t just a Jason Statham movie – which, BTW, I happen to like a lot.

Statham’s character, Brant, starts the movie off as a typical anger-management needing cop. This of course makes him perfect for performing as vigilante. What makes this movie so cool is that Brant has qualities that one does not see usually in a character like this.

The characters in this movie have depth and growth without being overly dramatic or staged. It is cool.

PITFALLS: Hmmmm….. Well I would be happy with a sequel and/or more movies form the same team and author.

FEMALE CHARACTER(S): Yes. Although the female characters are secondary, they are complex and interesting. They appear to have a life and purpose outside of the movie’s storyline. They are not there to make the men look good. I, of course, like that.

What I really liked was how we learn that our hero Brant is a good and caring human being. How do we know this? Well our supporting heroine Falls played by Zawe Ashton comes to him for advice. When she sits down at his desk, he gives her his full attention. His expression and body language say that he considers her a friend and respects her. They talk about her career and he gives her good advice. It is refreshing to see a woman being given good advice about her career. It is extra sweet that a white man is giving a black woman the advice with such respect.

CULTURAL PITFALL(S): I found it odd that at times the hero Brant was described as non-PC. First I get tired of being politically correct insulted. Let me clear this up for you: Politically Correct equals Polite. Ok? When you call someone by what they want to be called, when you treat someone as you wish to be treated and as they wish to be treated, you are being polite.

So why do we have to have a hero is sometimes described as impolite? Well I guess it does make sense due to his violent outbreaks. But hey, he treats all colors and sexual orientations with respect. If there person earns his respects, he backs them up. I have heard that people say actions speak louder than words, well Brant’s actions speak respectful. That made the movie for me.

HIGH POINT(S):

1.) Brant is also respectful and considerate of his gay colleague Nash played by Paddy Considine. Considine does an excellent acting job as Nash. Since he becomes a new partner at the beginning of the movie, Brant and he have to learn to live with each other. It happens quickly. Since they are both professionals, they immediately bond. Plus Brant tells Nash point blank that he doesn’t care about Nash’s sexual preferences. What Nash cares about is how good a police office Nash is and Nash is very good. They respect each other. They also get to have a sharing moment at the beginning of the movie which is both funny and shows how much in common the two have.

2.) Extras. There are a lot of women and PoC in the cast and in the background. It is nice that this isn’t a movie with just white men. I liked that a lot. This helped me feel like anyone could be a part of this movie. The word that comes to mind is community.

BECHDEL TEST (Website): 1 of 3 according to me. This is because we have two named women Falls and Sandra. Plus there is another fun character who helps Brant with technology. They all never talk, but they still do a great job of being people not objects.

RACIAL BECHDEL TEST (Website): 1 of 3. The character of Falls played by Zawe Ashton does very well in this movie.

IMDB: Blitz (2011)

OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE:  Blitz

DVD/BLU-RAY WORTHY: Yes! I was thrilled when I found it!

LION PAW PRINTS:  3.5. So enjoyed this.