2011
110 minutes
rated R
by Scott Mendelson
If not for the fact that it were a remake of a beloved 1971 Sam Peckinpah film, Rod Lurie's Straw Dogs would be a prime example of what we claim we want in our popcorn entertainment. It is, quite simply, an old-fashioned star-driven thriller with an emphasis on character and relationships. It stars adults, concerns adults, and deals with explicitly adult subject matter. That it doesn't quite work as a piece of social commentary is merely a strike against it, but the picture remains intelligent and tense throughout. I suppose we can discuss the irony of something that was quite controversial back in 1971 being rather run-of-the-mill today. To paraphrase The Tower of Power, what's hip yesterday, will today become passé.
