“Safe House,” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, is a film that felt like there was going to be a misstep somewhere, and according to the critics, there was.

The critics gave the film a 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, however, audiences seemed to like it, if not love it, giving the film a 70% fresh rating.

According to the site, the critics felt that “[t]hough Safe House is anchored by strong performances from Washington and Reynolds, they’re let down by a thin script and choppily edited action sequences that betray the film’s unfortunate lack of imagination.”

Most of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are positive in the most tepid manner, most of them stating that even though there are issues that bring the film down, the cast and their chemistry are such that they make you interested in what happens to the characters. For instance, according to Louise Keller at the Urban Cinefile, “The powerful pairing of Washington and Reynolds as the cynical, idealistic agents respectively has plenty of promise, although the decision to use dizzying hand-held camera work intrudes on what could be a far more powerful and enjoyable film.”

What do you think about the film? Did you like the level of action and chemistry? Or did you think that the film was too cliche and basic? Give your opinions in the comments section below.

Written by: Monique Jones