Dad spends a night in the mancave: Haywire

If there is a void in the mancave movie genre it’s the lack of art and the absence of strong women. Granted that could also be the appeal of mancave movies.   A perfect example of this is The Expendables, which doesn’t pretend to have either of them.    With that void in mind Steven Soderbergh made Haywire, starring MMA superstar Gina Carano.

Gina Carano is very attractive and she kicks butt; a trained muay thai fighter who is known for her strong, fast punches.  Steven Soderbergh is an artsy film director who uses lots of tracking shots and groovy music from the 60’s in his movies.

Haywire is about a black ops spy who is betrayed on a mission.  After that mission she sets out to clear her name by tracking down those who crossed her.   If you think you’ve seen this movie before-you are correct; it’s the standard action meme of angered spy exacting revenge on old employers.

The fight scenes in Haywire are closer, tighter and more realistic than the average spy movie.    In that regard, Haywire make you feel embarrassed if you saw Salt, which looks like a kids movie compared to this.  Soderbergh’s direction is too artsy for the first quarter of the movie; using music too much and capturing the mood, but missing some of the action.

If Haywire had more action it would’ve been a much better film.  As it stands, it didn’t have enough action for a mancave movie, nor was it enough of an art film to satisfy the turtleneck and poetry crowd.   As a movie, Hanna blended the two genres better, but even that one had flaws.

Haywire is the equivalent of Chinese food that isn’t great or horrible, but came from a restaurant with a well known chef.   Carano holds her own as an actress and proves that she can be a top tier action star.  The supporting cast is packed with Hollywood actors like Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor and Bill Paxton.

The European scenery is nice in Haywire, but the plot is disappointing and all the filters, tracking shots and cool music can’t make up for a short, forgettable movie.  Carano should be cast in more movies though; she is great and can really spice up a genre that can use some new moves and personality.

Dad spends a night in the mancave is a series about what guys do when women aren’t around to judge them for what they watch on television.  It’s those potentially bad movies, questionable action films or something starring Bruce Campbell that really can be enjoyable through the lens of a guy.  We may reveal plot points to the movies that are discussed.  Mancave Rule #5: Never trust an actor who has not appeared with Bruce Willis or Bruce Campbell.