Take Back

Director Christian Sesma's generic thriller has many of the same clichés as '00s-era films like Enough (2002), Trapped (2002), and The Glass House (2001). A woman with a seemingly normal life becomes the plaything of a sadistic man whom she must kill to free herself from his clutches. To complete the job, she must embrace a side of herself that somehow knows martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, and firearms. White is convincing as Zara, a one-woman powerhouse-turned-lawyer, but her fighting skill set is a little inexplicable. We understand that Brian teaches various boxing and martial arts skills, but it's implied that Zara got much of her combat know-how elsewhere. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't offer more detail than that.

Nor does it give us as much of Mickey Rourke as fans might want. But even though he has a minuscule amount of screen time as the villainous Patrick, he does enough to prove why he's an award-winning actor. He's charismatic and mysterious, showing that he has a whole backstory for his character even though viewers will never know all of his secrets. While it's clear that Patrick is a villain -- he runs a sex trafficking ring, after all -- Rourke's performance still makes you want to see a film about what led his character to such a horrible life. Michael Jai White is also fun as Brian, a tough dad with a heart of gold in the vein of Terry Crews. He increases his relatability by reacting believably to the unbelievable situations he finds himself in, which leads to some unintentional but understandable moments of humor. Overall, Take Back is a fun diversion if you're looking for a film to scratch an action thriller itch, especially if you're a sucker for action thriller films with female leads.