HAYWIRE

     GINA CARANO  EWAN MCGREGOR  CHANNING TATUM  MICHAEL DOUGLAS
     MICHAEL FASSBENDER

Mallory (Carano) works for Kenneth (McGregor) as a special agent.  Aaron (Tatum) is a co-agent.  During one of her missions, Mallory finds out she has been set up and then, while trying to survive, she tries to find out why.  Also involved are Paul (Fassbender) a British agent and Coblenz (Douglas) an American government official.
I really wanted to like this movie since I enjoy films that have strong female leads, but it is such a poorly written story that it is almost impossible to like.  As you might expect, the fight scenes were well done and looked very authentic.  We learn from the DVD extras that no stunt people were used in the fights and this adds realism, however well done fights do not make a good movie.  The acting was good: Carano did a good job for her first starring role, and the guys are all seasoned actors who know what they are doing, although there are times when Tatum just stands there with a dumbfounded look on his face.  It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, a good director who keeps the movie flowing along with the action popping up at the right times.  As for the story, it is just bad.  For everything that happens in this movie, the viewer is never given or told a reason why it is happening.  It is a major hole that takes away from the movie.
RATING 2 out of 5