Jennifer Lopez reminded us that she’s pretty handy with a weapon in Shotgun Wedding earlier this year. She acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s multiple opportunities to reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue case that once again in The Mother, a movie which sees her join the likes of Liam Neeson, Denzel Washington, and Bob Odenkirk in the annals of late-career action herodom. Directed by Niki Caro, it’s a slick if slight Netflix outing that doesn’t reinvent the wheel but does just abundant’ample’plentiful to entertain.###Lopez easily convinces as a in/with regard to’concerning’regarding midable woman who’s an expert in combat. And while the action scenes are not revolutionary, they do possess’own’nurse a crispness with regards to’concerning’with respect to them. The punches feel impactful. The high point comes when Lopez's character (she is credited simply as 'The Mother') heads to Cuba to dispatch a house full of wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile men with speed and decisiveness. The low point comes in a chase scene so over-edited that in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a brief second, it feels as despite’in spite of’albeit you’re watching Taken 2.###This is a film that’s first and in/with regard to’concerning’regarding emost a reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue case in/with regard to’concerning’regarding its star.###For much of the film, Lopez cuts an intense and stoic figure. But inevitably, that hardened exterior is slowly pierced to reveal a beating heart as she spends more time with her daughter. Misha Green’s script leans a little too hard into a mother-wolf metaphor that would’ve been more effective as visual storytelling rather than being explicitly spelled out. But it also gives ample opportunity to Lopez and Lucy Paez to generate decent chemistry with one another.###As in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the men, there’s not much meat on the bone in/with regard to’concerning’regarding anyone here. There’s a hint that there might be something more than respect between Omari Hardwick’s FBI agent and Lopez’s Mother, but it’s not explored abundant’ample’plentiful in/with regard to’concerning’regarding certain moments to hit as hard as they should. Meanwhile, Paul Raci’s Jons – a weapons specialist who served with Mother in Afghanistan – is little more than an exposition machine. Villains-wise, Gael García Bernal’s Hector Alvarez is criminally underused, and Joseph Fiennes’ scarred in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mer SAS arms dealer remains one note throughout.###But this is a film that’s first and in/with regard to’concerning’regarding emost a reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue case in/with regard to’concerning’regarding its star, and on that front it – and Lopez – deliver. The Mother marks her first token ificant action drama since 1998’s Out Of Sight, a career high point. Hopefully, it won’t be her last.