Antonio Banderas has been more than familiar with the action genre dating back over a quarter of a century, when he followed up his two Hollywood breakthrough roles in Philadelphia and Interview with the Vampire with a charismatic performance in Robert Rodriguez’s explosive Desperado.
In the decades since, the Spanish actor has found huge success in spectacle-driven projects like The Mask of Zorro, the Spy Kids trilogy, the Shrek franchise and solo spinoff Puss in Boots, Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, Machete Kills, The Expendables 3 and more. However, in the last five or six years, the 60 year-old has starred in more actioners than ever before, which could be tied to the resurgence of the so-called ‘geri-action’ subgenre that’s seen countless talents in his demographic indulge in a spot of running and gunning, a phenomenon that can be traced back to Liam Neeson’s Taken.
Since the beginning of 2017, Banderas has featured in eight such titles, ranging from low budget VOD efforts to next year’s blockbuster video game adaptation Uncharted, via a villainous turn in this week’s new release Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. One of his better B-tier vehicles is now blowing up on Netflix, though, with Security currently the eighth most-watched film on the platform in the United States.
It’s one of a thousand thinly-veiled Die Hard knockoffs, one that sees the leading man as a former elite soldier who now works a security job at a shopping mall. During his shift, he’s forced to protect a federal witness after she escapes an attempt on her life and seeks refuge in his place of employment. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means, but Security is the ideal sort of lazy weekend entertainment that passes 90 minutes or so, which is probably why it’s playing so well.