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The crime thriller genre has gotten stale over the past few years, but Welcome to the Punch is a welcoming burst of fresh air. The film stars James McAvoy as police detective Max Lewinsky. He has spent years chasing one criminal mastermind, Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong), and finally has the opportunity to put him behind bars when he emerges from the shadows after an unfortunately incident involving his son. As Lewinsky comes closer to catching his white whale, a deeper conspiracy emerges that will force the two to work together.
Welcome to the Punch is a visually stunning film and looks fantastic on Blu-ray. The cinematography is excellent and the opening heist scene sets the tone for the rest that is to follow. There are some spectacular wide shots that show the grand scale of the operation and the lighting throughout provides interesting contrast between scenes. It’s a beautifully shot film that’s on par with something I would expect to see out of Christopher Nolan.
The plot itself isn’t half bad either. James McAvoy and Mark Strong are great together, and the film doesn’t try to overdo itself with insanely complicated storylines or twists. As far as crime thrillers go, it’s actually pretty tame.
Special features include an 18-minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and a slew of cast interviews. They’re all pretty lengthy so while there’s not much else in terms of content, there’s plenty to keep you entertained.
Welcome to the Punch is one of those hidden gems that you don’t find too often. I would highly recommend picking it up on Blu-ray if you have the chance. As obscure as it is, you may even be able to find it cheaply as well.