Contraband

Name: Contraband
Genre: Thriller
Released: January 13, 2012
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 51

2012

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 158 Ratings

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6.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 158 Ratings

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Contraband

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: January 13, 2012 | R

Summary: Chris Farraday long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy, botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs, Chris is forced back into doing what he does best--running contraband--to settle Andy's debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian,Chris Farraday long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy, botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs, Chris is forced back into doing what he does best--running contraband--to settle Andy's debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian, to head to Panama and return with millions in counterfeit bills. Things quickly fall apart and with only hours to reach the cash, Chris must use his rusty skills to successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife, Kate, and sons become their target. (Universal Pictures)

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Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Genre(s): Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 110 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore

Jan 12, 2012

A thriller with its share of nail-biting moments. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Jan 12, 2012

It's a genre film, not great art, though there's a good joke about art - a pricey piece of action painting, appropriately enough - but it's a thoroughly satisfying entertainment, and, in this season of lowered expectations, a nice surprise. Read full review

Mike Scott

Jan 13, 2012

What we're left with is a movie that is about as nourishing as the Junior Mints and nachos available at the theater snack bar. But, then, many a Friday night dinner has been made of far less. Read full review

Nick Pinkerton

Jan 10, 2012

No one, however, could mistake Contraband for anything but what it is: a shift-job genre movie - not a bad day's work, content to match the blocky trudge of its star rather than attempt panache. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Jan 12, 2012

Ribisi has become the go-to guy for movie psychos, giving everything to performances like this one or as Moburg, the dissolute reporter in "The Rum Diary." Read full review

Claudia Puig

Jan 12, 2012

Contraband has a few moments of tension, but it adheres to a predictable heist formula hardly worth trafficking in. Read full review

Ben Sachs

Jan 12, 2012

Several graphically violent scenes of women and children in jeopardy make this, ultimately, beneath contempt. Read full review

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User Reviews

MomoMesh

Jan 18, 2012

A former smuggler (Mark Wahlberg), a move away from life, now runs his own security firm, and a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale), and three great kids, life can not be any better s. Until his wife's brother, is a smuggler, and a work of messes. This put him and his family, dangerous drugA former smuggler (Mark Wahlberg), a move away from life, now runs his own security firm, and a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale), and three great kids, life can not be any better s. Until his wife's brother, is a smuggler, and a work of messes. This put him and his family, dangerous drug dealer (Giovanni Ribisi) in danger. So, now back to its old ways of the old smuggler order to save his family, but he is, or will be over his head?

A pretty entertaining crime thriller. Mark Wahlberg is the title role, a tough guy like the old style. Kate Beckinsale as his wife alright, but it was not strong enough. Giovanni Ribisi is evil, it was awesome, enjoy it just does not like him. Lucas Haas and Ben Foster are also too good. In addition, a crime drama, really hard to satisfy you. Predicable moments, but it can still be entertaining.
You can watch it here momomesh.com… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

A_Northerner

Sep 8, 2013

I wasn't expecting Contraband to deliver too much and I ended up being pleasantly surprised. You can always count on Mark Wahlberg too deliver a steely, non-nonsense, man-caught-in-a-drama type performance. I'm a big fan of Ben Foster, although I think he has had better roles than this one,I wasn't expecting Contraband to deliver too much and I ended up being pleasantly surprised. You can always count on Mark Wahlberg too deliver a steely, non-nonsense, man-caught-in-a-drama type performance. I'm a big fan of Ben Foster, although I think he has had better roles than this one, and with Ribisi, the two provide strong counter foils to Wahlberg, who does what he does best. Kate Beckinsdale is really just window dressing caught up in the drama.

Character development isn't top priority and the film suffers because of it but in the end for a short and punchy heist film, that gives an interesting insight into the world of international smuggling, you could do worse.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MarcDoyle

Jan 15, 2012

It's no work of art, and it cheats a bit in its storytelling, but it's a fun film - exactly what you're looking for on a Friday night in January. Ben Foster is always perfect in this type of role, incidentally.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

bskrils

Feb 5, 2012

Contraband was your typical action film, if you feel like getting away for a while and watching an action film this movie will not disappoint. However, if you are looking for it to blow you away or if you expect it to be part of favorites it will not do that. It was a good movie to watch,Contraband was your typical action film, if you feel like getting away for a while and watching an action film this movie will not disappoint. However, if you are looking for it to blow you away or if you expect it to be part of favorites it will not do that. It was a good movie to watch, and surprisingly my wife requested that we go and see it(probably because of Mark Wahlberg) so apparently you may be able to not claim this as your movie choice and avoid another chick flick next time. There were a few twists and turns in the movie, but nothing you couldn't really figure out if your paying attention. I thought the pace was good and it did not have any slow parts that left you wanting to leave the theater. Characters and choice of actors was pretty good as well, besides Wahlberg and beckinsale most were relatively unknown or not mainstream but probably strong up anc comers. I probably won't see it again, but it was a good movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Matty_K

Jan 15, 2012

Ehhhh I'm not sure what to say about this movie. It was decent, but VERY predictable. I found myself guessing correctly what was going to happen next. Wahlberg was pretty cool, but his character was the same as always. My advice is to wait to rent this movie.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

TheDRauch

Aug 4, 2012

Contraband ends up being all of the things expected of an action/thriller January release. It is a performance vehicle for any A-lister (in this case, Mark Wahlberg, whose role seems to be custom made for him), it is confusing and far-fetched, it has it's share of thrilling moments, and itContraband ends up being all of the things expected of an action/thriller January release. It is a performance vehicle for any A-lister (in this case, Mark Wahlberg, whose role seems to be custom made for him), it is confusing and far-fetched, it has it's share of thrilling moments, and it is easily forgotten, but not entirely painlessly. Contraband is basically a genre film, a heist pic that has the overall tone of a reversed Ocean's movie. But that trilogy had a far more easygoing nature about it, while still being hard to follow and absurd. This movie is all too serious and in the finale, it takes a tonal U-turn and becomes light-hearted, betraying itself, as if the past hour-and-a-half didn't happen. It becomes oddly watchable before that, but otherwise Contraband is just toss-away entertainment.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

HDeezy

Feb 8, 2012

This film is utterly unsatisfying.
Not even slightly entertaining, some of the performances were utterly laughable, and the script was horrifyingly bad.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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