Shelter – Review

Michael Mason (Statham) lives in a remote rundown lighthouse structure in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, off the western coast. He keeps his head down and follows his routine, while getting a weekly supply drop off from a man who served alongside him in His Majesty’s Royal Marines. It becomes clear that Mason is staying away from civilization and likely hiding from his past, if not something out there looking for him.

As his supply runs are coming steady, he is able to stick to his plan: eat enough to stay alive, sit around, drink a lot, hang out with his dog and sleep. Unfortunately, after a re-supply is dropped off, the waves are too rough as a storm settles in, and the boat carrying his veteran compatriot and his niece capsizes, forcing Mason into action. He is able to rescue the girl Jessie (Breathnach), but not her uncle.

While caring for the girl’s injuries, Mason winds up on the radar of MI6 who has been looking for him. Looks like his past wasn’t done with him yet. Time for bullets and fists to fly, which is a surprise to no one.

Jason Statham can be quite good in the right roles, and certainly doesn’t wind up being cast in a huge variety of parts, but he can still be a pretty good fit for the action thriller mold if the story is passable. While Shelter does not bring a revolutionary story, it is definitely good enough for a watch for those that can handle this type of movie and have tempered expectations. Shelter’s story has been done many times before, and even Statham himself has movies like it. That being said, it is better than plenty of straight-to-video clunkers.

It may be a mix of other films with better stories, but overall, it remains serviceable enough and has decent acting to go along with the fine action. Nothing there will do much to set itself apart from the basic action movie pack, but it is no total crapshoot. Bill Nighy is always nice to see again, and he fits his role well. The director handled everything fine and kept the pace zipping along. You pretty much know what you are in for with this one, so if that is okay to you, take a shot.