BREAKING IN REVIEW – Rated PG-13  – 1 hr. 28 mins

This humble opinion is brought to you by T. K. Edwards

BREAKING IN  – Rated PG-13  – 1 hr. 28 mins

Director by:  James McTeigue

Cast:  Gabrielle Union, Billy Burke, Richard Cabral, Seth Carr, Ajiona Alexus, Christa Miller

A mother must protect her two children from four men that have broken in to her house.  

THIS SEGMENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS…

BREAKING IN is your typical generic “home invasion” suspense thriller that Hollywood occasionally throws out there for the movie going audience.  We’ve seen this plot a thousand times over and for some reason we still keep going back for more. Let’s go down the list of what you can expect and you tell me if it sounds familiar.  Let’s begin…shall we? lol

1.  A huge house with loads of security.  How is anyone getting into these houses?  The movie shows just how tech loaded these mansions are and yet the bad guys are breaking into these places with such ease.
2.  A small group of bad guys (usually 3 to 5).  These are the guys breaking into the house that is a fortress.  I don’t understand, they can break in past the security but they can’t take care of a husband, wife and their two small children?  Hmm.
3.  The hidden treasure.  There’s always something priceless the bad guys want and can never find.  It always takes them like 45 minutes into the film before they even find the vault and then, they never have a plan to open it.  
4.  The family that’s not supposed to be there in the first place.  This is when the family decides to just go to this house on a whim for whatever reason and now they can’t leave because it’s “their house” and they “have to” protect it.  LOL
5.  It’s always the dad’s fault.  The dad is always up to shady stuff when it comes to his business or how he makes his money.  And then, he hides the profits from this illegal enterprise inside his crazy huge house. His family finds out, he tells them he’d been doing it for them all along, they forgive him and he learns that they are the “real” fortune in the huge house all this time.  Aww…that’s so sweet. (Single tear and a sniffle).

BREAKING IN follows the above points almost to a “T” and although we’ve heard it a 1,000 times over, we as a movie going audience still go to see them.  I’m not saying Hollywood should stop making “home invasion” films, but at least put some original thought into the story. Make it something new and exciting.  As for BREAKING IN, save your money and watch it at home or watch FIREWALL, WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, NO GOOD DEED, HOSTAGE, FEAR OR TRESPASS instead. It doesn’t matter…they’re all the same.  Until next time, thanks for reading.

PS: There are some really great “home invasion” films.  There’s not that many, but here are a few to “keep your faith alive” that good movies can be still be made.

DON’T BREATHE, PACIFIC HEIGHTS, PANIC ROOM, KNOCK KNOCK, THE PURGE, STRAW DOGS, YOU’RE NEXT, HUSH, VACANCY, FUNNY GAMES.