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James Marsh

3/5 stars
Jennifer Lopez adds a dash of superstar glamour to The Mother, an otherwise stubbornly conventional action thriller about a former military assassin battling to be reunited with her estranged daughter.
Joseph Fiennes and Gael Garcia Bernal apply a touch of foreign flavour as the scenery-chewing villains, but are given precious little opportunity to overshadow J-Lo’s steely-eyed heroine by director Niki Caro (Whale Rider, Mulan).
In an era when seemingly any Hollywood A-lister can reinvent themselves as a no-nonsense action star, 53-year-old Lopez is surprisingly convincing as an unnamed special forces operative, with sharpshooting skills and survival know-how to rival John Wick and Rambo combined.


Her efforts to foil an arms deal between a South American gun-runner (Bernal) and an ex-SAS commando (Fiennes) leave her romantically involved with both men. But when she discovers they are also involved in human trafficking, she turns informant for the FBI.
Her only problem: she is nine months pregnant and either one of them could be the father.
Before she can give up her lovers to her FBI handler, Agent Cruise (Omari Hardwick), their safe house is raided and she is hospitalised with a knife to the abdomen.

Incredibly, her unborn baby survives, but “The Mother” is forced to sign away her parental responsibilities and disappear, to ensure her daughter’s safety. All goes well until, 12 years later, Lopez’s reclusive heroine is contacted out of the blue by Cruise, who reveals that the daughter she has never known has been tracked down by the men who tried to kill them.
As the action jumps from Cuba to Alaska, Caro’s direction is slick and assured, if never especially eye-catching. The thumping soundtrack boasts such eclectic needle-drops as Massive Attack and Kate Bush, adding a touch of flair to the action, which otherwise unfolds in wholly predictable fashion.
Emotional coldness between “The Mother” and her adolescent daughter, Zoe (Lucy Paez), soon gives way to bonding over weapons training and hunting rituals, in preparation for an obligatory finale, in which they fight side by side against an army of faceless goons.

A textbook example of a star vehicle, The Mother is competently executed and intermittently engaging, but is elevated only by Lopez’s presence.
While far from the first time she has dipped her toe into the action genre – her turn as a US Marshall in Out of Sight remains the pinnacle of her acting career – The Mother showcases the captivating, seemingly effortless on-screen aura possessed only by true-blue movie stars.
The Mother is streaming on Netflix.
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Netflix movie review: The Mother – Jennifer Lopez stars as a former military assassin in exciting action thriller

Jennifer Lopez as The Mother in a still from “The Mother”. Photo: Ana Carballosa/Netflix

Jennifer Lopez as The Mother in a still from “The Mother”, directed by Niki Caro. Lucy Paez co-stars. Photo: Eric Milner/Netflix

Joseph Fiennes (left) as Adrian and Jennifer Lopez as The Mother in a still from “The Mother”. Photo: Ana Carballosa/Netflix

Jennifer Lopez (left) as The Mother and Lucy Paez as Zoe in a still from “The Mother”. Photo: Doane Gregory/Netflix

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Scott Ly and Rachael Leigh Cook in a still from “A Tourist’s Guide to Love”, directed by Steven K. Tsuchida and co-starring Ben Feldman. The film was shot almost entirely on location in Vietnam. Photo: Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix

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J Lo is the titular mother in this action thriller about a former military assassin battling to be reunited with her daughter 12 years after she gave her up
A textbook example of a star vehicle, The Mother is competently executed and intermittently engaging, but is elevated only by Lopez’s presence


Jennifer Lopez stars as a former military assassin in The Mother, an exciting action thriller about a woman battling to be reunited with her daughter 12 years after she gave her up.


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An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


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Review | Netflix movie review: The Mother – Jennifer Lopez stars as a former military assassin in exciting action thriller