It is not exactly a critic’s dream come true, but it rises to one of our frequent challenges. We often lament studios’ remaking of classic movies, making them considerably worse, rather than redoing and hopefully improving less-than-great films.
That sort of happens here when Jason Statham steps into a role originated by Burt Reynolds. It’s already sounding better, isn’t it? In fact, Statham is much more convincing as the lethal bodyguard with a gambling problem in Simon West’s “Wild Card.”
Like the somewhat notorious 1986 film “Heat,” “Wild Card” was adapted by screenwriter William Goldman from his own novel. On the screen, it follows much the same structure, but off-screen, hopefully there will be far less litigation.
