Featured Audience Ratings

• Al S

  
  A real knockout of an action movie that delivers some solid fire-power and star-power. It's a stunning, gripping and intelligent action-thriller. It's stylish, compelling and filled with twist and turns that just keep you going right to the very end. A heart-pounding,… More
  A real knockout of an action movie that delivers some solid fire-power and star-power. It's a stunning, gripping and intelligent action-thriller. It's stylish, compelling and filled with twist and turns that just keep you going right to the very end. A heart-pounding, exhilarating and hard-boiled thrill-ride. It's intensely character-drawn, wonderfully crafted, and tremendously entertaining. The characters have some great moments together, as well as some very gripping moments that just keep you satisfied. A fast-paced, razor-sharp and wickedly cool thriller that's packed with explosive action and sizzling suspense. This movie rocks, I loved it for it's story and two magnificent leads, who are just great to watch together. James McAvoy and Mark Strong are sensational, the two of them are just a dynamite team on the screen. They start off as enemies and reluctantly team-up to achieve vengeance and redemption for their characters and uncover the truth. It's in no way a buddy film for these two, but it dose not mean you wont be satisfied with their performances. McAvoy is sharp and thrilling. Strong is magnetic and compelling. Peter Mullan is terrific.

• Manu G

  
  Good vs. bad: mutations of evil and forgiveness Mediocre movie! Whilst the casting was strong, the acting solid and the film itself is shot beautifully, I couldn't help but leave feeling I'd been robbed of a real movie, a real ending. Whilst there are moments when… More
  Good vs. bad: mutations of evil and forgiveness Mediocre movie! Whilst the casting was strong, the acting solid and the film itself is shot beautifully, I couldn't help but leave feeling I'd been robbed of a real movie, a real ending. Whilst there are moments when unexpected gunshots will cause you jump a good couple of feet out the chair, there are only so many shoot-outs you can sit through before wondering if anyone even knows how to use a gun. Especially when the people using them are supposedly some of the best marksmen around. So whilst there are tales of corruption, unexplained changes of heart and some shocking, upsetting moments, the storyline becomes relatively predictable too early on for my liking and the film seems to come to a sudden, abrupt end. If you're looking to be entertained for just under a couple of hours without questioning too much, this is the film for you. If like me you expect more from a movie with a cast and the budget shown, prepare to leave the screen feeling as if you've been poked a few times in the arm, hardly punched. Former criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky one last chance to catch the man he has always been after. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy they both need to solve in order to survive.

• Mark W

  
  This film marks the start of a trilogy of UK ventures from actor James McAvoy in 2013. It was released practically back to back with Danny Boyle's "Trance" and an adaptation of the Irvine Welsh novel "Filth" will complete McAvoy's year. Let's just… More
  This film marks the start of a trilogy of UK ventures from actor James McAvoy in 2013. It was released practically back to back with Danny Boyle's "Trance" and an adaptation of the Irvine Welsh novel "Filth" will complete McAvoy's year. Let's just say that he hasn't got off the best of starts with this one. During the pursuit of master criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong), doggedly determined policeman Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) is shot in the leg which allows Sternwood to escape. Now disgraced within his precinct, Lewinsky believes he will never get the chance bring Sternwood to justice. That is, until Sterenwood is forced out of hiding to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway and hunt down the man responsible for shooting his son. Lewinsky is given the perfect opportunity to rescue his reputation but he also uncovers a deeper conspiracy involved. I've said it countless times before but I'm afraid I'm going to have to say it again; I'm not a massive fan of the action genre. I find it all a bit hollow and the story and logic always suffer for the sake of set-pieces and excitement. This has that very same problem. The reason I went into this was for the actors and the curiosity of how a British made movie, in this genre, could compete in terms with the U.S. At least, on both these accounts, I wasn't disappointed. McAvoy, once again, proves his leading man credentials with fine support by Mark Strong and British character actors like Peter Mullan, David Morrissey and Johnny Harris. The film's, near futuristic, look and gritty feel is also perfectly fitting and for a change, a British action movie handles itself just as well as any other. However, it's ultimately no different from the mind-numbing, generic dross that this genre so often delivers and the plot, as expected, has holes aplenty. In fact, they are so wide, they are actually quite offensive. Despite it trying to play clever and keep it's cards close to it's chest, it's all rather predictable and leaves you with the feeling that you've just wasted your time. Eran Creevy does well in the directing stakes and conducts his action set-pieces with impressive ease but his script has more creeks and holes than his protagonist's dodgy knee. If it wasn't for the committed actors and the neon-infused cinematography by Ed Wild, this would be a complete write-off. With a better script and more respect for the audience this could have been a lot better. Sadly, it has neither of these and carries so much self-indulgence it would be more aptly titled... Welcome to the Paunch. Mark Walker

• Directors C

  
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• Caesar M

  
  Last week my experience in the theaters were less than stellar. That trend continues with Welcome to the Punch an action/crime film whose clumsy script nearly single handily ruins the whole picture. Welcome to the Punch tells the story of ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood who is forced to… More
  Last week my experience in the theaters were less than stellar. That trend continues with Welcome to the Punch an action/crime film whose clumsy script nearly single handily ruins the whole picture. Welcome to the Punch tells the story of ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood who is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives his nemesis, detective Max Lewinsky, one last chance to catch the man he's always been after. It contains some originality which is done away by predictability and running on formula making a big twist visible from a mile away. Characterization is the weakest point because of how much the writers makes such a mess of the narrative. It becomes convoluted towards the end. Some of the sub plots could have been better fleshed. One interesting sub plot deals with the issues if police man should carry guns, but is an issue hardly touched upon. One sub plot that could have been completely left out is Max romance with his partner which lacks any kind of importance. It has some good ideas, though the proper execution is missing. To the script advantage it moves at a brisk pace making it possible to forgive some of it shortcoming. It's better written than the average action film and attempts to inject some intelligence, but fails as the writers clearly had no clear idea where to go. James McAvoy seems an unlikely pick to carry the tough cop role, but is fine a leading man with his London-ish accent. Acting wise he gets the job done, but physically looks unconvincing during his action scenes. Mark Strong was a very good casting choice. He plays his role with a silence menacing presence that suits the character well and helps to mask the lack of character development. The supporting cast underwhelms because of the weak script. The supporting cast do a fair job, but none of them will be able to shine as much as the leads. The cinematography is excellent making London feel vibrate and electric. The action scenes are inspired. There's some well executed shoot outs and a varied uses of weaponaries with the camera being still to see it. They bring the film a much need energy boost when the plot does not. Welcome to the Punch is a well made action/crime film that does not contain well a told story. Granted it's tight direction and cast make it worth viewing. On the other hand the weak script makes a recommendation a rather difficult one falling into "At your own risk" territory.

• The Movie W

  
  Attempting to foil a robbery, detective Max Lewinsky (McAvoy) is shot in the knee by underworld boss Jacob Sternwood (Strong). Three years later, when his son is hospitalized as a result of his criminal ways, Sternwood returns to London, aiming to find those responsible. Lewinsky… More
  Attempting to foil a robbery, detective Max Lewinsky (McAvoy) is shot in the knee by underworld boss Jacob Sternwood (Strong). Three years later, when his son is hospitalized as a result of his criminal ways, Sternwood returns to London, aiming to find those responsible. Lewinsky attempts to trap him and finally put him behind bars but the two find themselves double-crossed by a group of corrupt politicians and cops intent on pushing their agenda of arming the police force. Reluctantly, Sternwood and Lewinsky team up to expose the truth. Few sub-genres have produced such a level of mediocrity as the British crime flick. Over the past fifteen or so years, countless low budget Guy Ritchie knock-offs have hit our screens. It seems every week there's a new straight-to-DVD release featuring Danny Dyer as a "cockney hard-man". 'Welcome to the Punch' appears from the outset to be simply a big budget version of the aforementioned, replete with an A-list cast. Thankfully it shares little with its partners in British crime. There are no over-the-top "geezer" characters and it's possibly the first London based crime movie not to feature copious use of the C-word. Save for the accents, it's virtually indistinguishable from its American counterparts. While the plot is far from original, director Creevy keeps our interest with some brilliantly staged set-pieces. The look of the film seems to have been inspired by eighties thrillers like William Friedkin's 'To Live & Die in L.A' and Michael Mann's 'Thief'. Creevy and cinematographer Ed Wild use light sources in really interesting ways. There are stunning images like a forest illuminated by a nearby explosion, spotlights traversing an abandoned night-club, and a birds-eye view of a flash-light moving through a container yard. What the film lacks in substance, it certainly makes up for with an abundance of style. Add a cracking performance from Strong, who is quickly making a claim to be the new Ben Kingsley, and 'WTTP' is an entertaining, if instantly forgettable, old-school cops 'n robbers tale.

• Lane Z

  
  Welcome to the Punch offers up some decent acting and action from the boys across the pond, but it falls flat story wise. I grew bored with the plot which follows Mark Strong's character more than it does James McAvoy's even though it should be the opposite, if not equal.… More
  Welcome to the Punch offers up some decent acting and action from the boys across the pond, but it falls flat story wise. I grew bored with the plot which follows Mark Strong's character more than it does James McAvoy's even though it should be the opposite, if not equal. The supporting characters are left out in the cold without much characterization and even though David Morrissey makes a movie appearance from the Walking Dead, there's not enough malice in the movie to make you dislike anyone as an antagonist. The crime drama turns into a revenge flick, which in the end is the same story we've seen a hundred times without its own unique twist. Just plane Jane.

• Andrew P

  
  Welcome to the Punch has a lot of elements to it, sometimes perhaps too many. Think about every single cop drama you may have seen, blend them up and Welcome to the Punch is the end result. It throws in every single angle it can fit, the misdirection, the sexual tension, the renegade… More
  Welcome to the Punch has a lot of elements to it, sometimes perhaps too many. Think about every single cop drama you may have seen, blend them up and Welcome to the Punch is the end result. It throws in every single angle it can fit, the misdirection, the sexual tension, the renegade cop searching for answers, it's all there and yet it somehow dodges being cliched and somehow feels fresh in parts. The plot cleverly unwinds with seeds planted early on that upon a re-watch will seem obvious and some how not as good. The two male leads are a likeable pair as well, McAvoy uses his still boyish charm and Mark Strong plays yet another villain but somehow still remains bad-ass. It's a film that has so much potential to go wrong but yet somehow doesn't step too far over the line. Welcome to the Punch is a film that could have been a lot worse, and will provide a decent two hours worth of entertainment.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings