The first half of this movie is rough to get through, with the exception of the initial scene, which sinks its hooks into you as any first scene of a movie should. But then it drags, painfully, and hits you with waves of cliches, the helpless damsel in distress being the most tiring for me. The action scenes are brutal and well filmed though, which in addition to the great acting saves this from damnation. The emotional ending I also have to applaud, and the climactic scene that precedes it.