'In The Blood' Review- Gina Carano Owns This Thriller

This movie was released in 2014.

In The Blood is a 2014 action film directed by John Stockwell, written by James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Ava (Gina Carano) is the daughter of a drug lord who taught her how to fight and shoot. After his death, she put that behind her and became married to the affluent Derek Grant (Cam Gigandet). They spend their honeymoon on a Caribbean island where they befriend Manny (Ismael Cruz Córdova), who takes them to a nightclub. She gets into a fight with gangster Big Biz (Danny Trejo), but it is stopped by crime lord Silvio Lugo (Amaury Nolasco). The next day, Derek is injured on a zip-line and taken to a nearby hospital where he vanishes. Ava desperately searches for him, but her father-in-law Robert (Treat Williams) believes she is behind it to get Derek’s inheritance. Police chief Ramón Garza (Luis Guzmán) also suspects her, but she soon begins to unravel a conspiracy.

Honestly, this movie is not that special. It is a somewhat generic action film that has all of the tropes. It riffs off movies similar to Taken where a loved one vanishes and the main character goes on a search, uncovering conspiracies along the way. It was universally panned by both the audience and the mainstream critics.

I do think that folks treat it too harshly. Sure, it is derivative and brings nothing new to the action genre, but I actually enjoyed it. It has a visceral tone to it that made it addicting. Plus, all of the action is kind of cool. I liked seeing Gina Carano shoot, beat, stab, and explode her way through the plot. It was a bit messy at times, but I honestly had a good time with its B-Movie stance.

On Gina Carano, this is her fourth film and the second with her as the headliner. I thought she did a good job. She carried the movie well and was able to show off her Martial Arts skills, and even her acting abilities. She did not have a lot to work with as far as the script, but she held her own well. She is the kind of athlete-turned-actress I can see becoming another action heroine.

Bottom line, In The Blood is not anything new, but it is a fun action flick that has all of the action and suspense you can enjoy. Gina Carano is epic in it and her skills as a fighter were on full display.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong violence, Drug content, Sexual content, Foul language

FAVORITE QUOTE: I have to finish this.

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, anime, or novel you would like me to review.