Ahead of Jason Statham’s return to the big screen with his next action movie’s release this summer, the actor’s 13-year-old thriller is making a comeback. With its availability on Paramount+, the underrated feature Homefront has nearly topped the streaming charts.
In the United States, Statham’s Homefront is now ranked at No. 2 on the list of the top 10 movies streaming on Paramount+ (per FlixPatrol). It is only below the slasher sequel Scream 7, which was recently added to the platform after debuting in theaters earlier this year. Homefront is also above the big-budget sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which has been flying high on the charts in recent weeks as well amid reports of the third installment moving forward.
Sylvester Stallone Conceived Homefront as a Rambo Movie
Based on the original novel by Chuck Logan, Homefront was written by Sylvester Stallone, Statham’s fellow action icon and Expendables franchise co-star. Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls) directed the film. Along with Statham in the lead, Homefront also stars Winona Ryder (Stranger Things), Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns), James Franco (Spider-Man), Rachelle Lefevre (The Twilight Saga), Frank Grillo (The Purge), Chuck Zito (Oz), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Superman), Izabela Vidovic (Wonder), and Clancy Brown (Pet Sematary Two).
While it takes inspiration from a novel, Stallone had originally conceived the film as a Rambo sequel in which he would also star. Those plans were ultimately scrapped, though Stallone would stay on board as a producer after Statham was cast in the lead role. In the movie, Statham plays Phil Broker, a retired DEA agent living a peaceful life with his daughter (Vidovic). Big problems happen when the father and daughter become entangled with a ruthless crime boss (Franco) following a school bullying incident.
“I could never be Rambo, if he was offering me Rambo I’d turn it down,” Statham told Yahoo in an interview to promote Homefront in 2013. “I could not fill those boots. He’s too good at what he does. Although there is a great element of Sly in this, he adapted it for me. It’s impossible to be that guy. He gave a lot of thought to that.”
Homefront Is Considered by Many to Be Underrated
Homefront was not exactly a major bomb, as it made over $51 million against a $22 million budget. Still, it is considered to be underrated by many fans of Statham. Critics were split, giving Homefront an approval rating of 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audience score is a bit higher at 61%. A lot of audience reviews praise Homefront for delivering what should be expected from a Statam-led action thriller.
“If you want an old school action film with great acting, real stakes, and a lot of kick-ass, this is simply an ideal choice,” as one viewer stated. “Critics need to step aside if they are not action film connoisseurs. To please them may have required a less formulaic, and thus less cathartic action thriller.”
Homefront is streaming on Paramount+.
- Release Date
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November 27, 2013
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Gary Fleder