Trailer Tuesday: Haywire

Action-espionage thriller Haywire (previously known as Knockout) is a bit of an oddity. At first glance you might think it's some straight-to-DVD "skop, skiet en donder" flick (translation for non-South Africans: "kick, shoot and beat up" movie). After all, Haywire stars "face of women's MMA" and former Gladiator Gina Carano as a deadly covert operative who is betrayed by her handler and seeks revenge, while dodging assorted agents and assassins sent to take her down.

Sounds like Z-grade dreck, right? Well, adjust your expectations because Haywire also stars Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Bill Paxton and Michael Douglas. Oscar-winning (for Traffic) Steven Soderbergh - who also helmed the likes of Out of Sight, Oceans Eleven through Thirteen and Erin Brockovich - is in the director's chair for this globe-trotting spy tale. It's A-list all the way, baby!


Admittedly Carano's acting skills are untested - she's only popped up in a few DVDs, and cut scenes for video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. However, it's not so much her dramatic skills that are the appeal here but her combat abilities. Carano is the real deal. She's not lanky skeleton Angelina Jolie stylishly kicking ass with the aid of wire stunts and slow-mo in the similarly themed Salt, and multiple other action blockbusters. Carano has the credible physique of a female fighter, and convincing moves to match. The combats here look like they hurt!

It's been years since The Long Kiss Goodnight had Geena Davis also convincing as a betrayed CIA agent, and I think it's about time for another headlining action heroine who looks the part, instead of being simply a babe in a bodysuit. Sorry Milla, sorry Kate. It also certainly doesn't harm Haywire that it has such a fantastic supporting cast of big name male actors backing up Carano.

Haywire opens in North America on 20 January 2012. It's way too early for the film's South African release date to have been announced, but I would expect the film to hit local cinemas sometime before mid-year.