I like Gina Carano as an action hero. I think she has what it takes. she's fun to look at, especially when she does those MMA fighting movies to beat up the bad guys. Watching her crush a man's skull in-between her thighs is sexy, without her even trying to be sexy.

The movie is about a woman with a checkered past getting her life together by marrying the love of her life, who suddenly becomes endangered thanks to the local bad dudes who put a wretch in their honeymoon and because the cops are unwilling to help she seeks vengeance on her own. Sounds like every other action film out their right? but that's perfect to show us what Gina can really do as an action hero and she delivers. What makes the movie interesting is using a small Caribbean island as the back drop adding some new flavor to a typical slab of Beef that an action film can be. Of course what makes the movie bad ass is having Mr. Bad Ass himself, Danny Trejo in the film. This guy adds 25% to any B-action film.

I honest thought Haywire would have done more for her career other than just being The Rock's partner in the ensemble cast that is the Fast and The Furious 6. The world could use a few more female driven action movies other than the Resident Evil or Underworld franchise. Who cares if she could use a few more acting lessons, we let Chuck Norris get away with it. Then again, Chuck Norris let's us get away with living.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good action film.

In the Blood has nearly the same plot as the Liam Neeson thriller Taken but it is much easier to swallow. Here again is another movie about someone who finds that their loved one has been kidnapped and must twist and turn into a seamy underworld to bring them back. The difference between the two is that the earlier picture was a high-gloss Hollywood production while this one is shot more like a documentary. It is by no means perfect, but you at least feel like you've entered into a very dark and dangerous world. You can believe what you're seeing.

Directed by former teen actor John Stockwell, In the Blood stars real life mixed-martial arts champ Gina Carano as Ava, who is on her honeymoon in the Caribbean with her new husband Derek. Stockwell's skill in the early scenes is to capture the lush atmosphere of this island. It looks like ad for a cruise line so we can easily understand how the two lovers get caught up in it.

Then something happens. At a nightclub, a small incident leads to a fight. Ava mops the floor with three guys who are about to beat up Derek. The next day, the couple go zip-lining. There's an accident and Derek is injured. An ambulance comes. She is told that she cannot ride with him, so she is told the name of the hospital that he is being taken to. When she gets there, she is told that he never checked in. Something is clearly wrong.

Dealing with a hard-weathered police officer (played by the ever- reliable Luis Guzmán) she is given the run-around. The cops seem to be following the pattern but are clearly dragging their feet. So, she decides to do some digging herself. Then follows a long, and quite dangerous, spiral into the dark underworld of the Latin American criminal underground in which Ava muscles and strong-arms one guy after another to get answers to Derek's whereabouts, which is especially tough since the wall of resistance is held up by the likes of Luis Guzmán, Danny Trejo and Stephen Lang.

More of the plot cannot be revealed except to say that what she uncovers is actually believable. Unlike Taken we can accept that Ava would be capable of twisting the arms of these grizzled tough guys. She is played by Gina Carano, who has a tight body and a muscular structure that allows us to believe that she could survive in this environment. She's not your wimpy little heroine, but has a personality and a build that reminds us of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

If there's a weakness in the film, it is John Stockwell's insistence on wall to wall music. He wants to invoke a kind of documentary feel, but his film is often slick where it should feel like raw footage. This is probably the best film he's made so far. In the Blood, like most of his previous work indicates that Stockwell has a fascination with stories about American tourist pulled into the dark underbelly of Latin America. He previously made Into the Blue, a remake of The Deep, about a group of tourist who find themselves in trouble over the cargo of down airplane. And he made the silly horror adventure Turistas, about a group of tourists in Brazil who find themselves in trouble with members of an illegal organ transplant operation. The plots are similar, but what is clear is that Stockwell is a competent director but not yet a great one. Yet, in sense that with In the Blood, his work is improving. It's far from perfect but you get caught up in it.

I'll be honest about this film, I am NOT a big action film fan nor do I like ultra-violent films. In the Blood is clearly BOTH of these— especially the latter. The amazing thing is that although the violence made me cringe, it was also a movie that kept me glued to the screen...and my adrenalin pumping!

The film stars Gina Carano and if you've never heard of Miss Carano, I wouldn't be surprised. She's only done a few films, though she is famous…as an MMA and Muay Thai fighter!! And, as you'd expect from a woman with such training, her skills are INSANELY good. Heck, she seems tougher and more capable than all the male action stars of the genre—and she makes it all look so real! By comparison, films by Van Damme and Steven Seagal look like kids' films!!! I also love Carano because although she is pretty, she's NOT the Hollywood type. She has real curves and looks like she's NOT the product of plastic surgery and bulimia!!

The film is set on some fictional Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation or, perhaps, they intend it to be the Dominican Republic (there are three Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean—and it's not Cuba and they said it wasn't Puerto Rico in the movie*)—they never say. Regardless, the place is corrupt…very, very, very corrupt. It's so corrupt that when an American tourist is kidnapped (or possibly killed), those responsible for it pay EVERYONE to pretend it never happened—even the cops! So, this leaves Ana (Carano) all alone in a hostile country where practically no one seems able or willing to help. The neat thing about the film is that it is wonderful at misdirection. It's a very smart film as again and again I was surprised by who was behind all this and why. And, how it all ends is simply impossible to anticipate**.

Overall, this is a super-high action film with an amazing heroine—one that doesn't stand around waiting to be saved by a man—and I love that. Carano plays the real thing—and action hero in every sense of the word— and a darn scary one!!

So do I recommend the film? Well, I don't know. Its violence level is off the charts and it's certainly NOT a film for the kids, your mother or Father Flannigan! Plus, even if you THINK you like action films, you might just find this one too intense, bloody and violent. Often, Ana kills—much like Sonny Chiba did in his Street Fighter films. But aside from the violence, it's an exceptional film all around. Heck, even NOW after the movie's been over for some time, my heart is STILL pounding… it's that intense and that well made.

*They said the film is NOT set in Puerto Rico and talked about how they can escape to the nearby island of Puerto Rico. But, in reality, the film was actually made in Puerto Rico. I don't know what this will do for tourism!

**If you SERIOUSLY anticipated all the twists, turns and surprises in this film, drop me a line. You are DEFINITELY psychic and I want to talk to you about the Florida Lottery.

When Ava (Gina Carano) meets Derek Grant (Cam Gigandet), they fall in love and marry with each other under the protest of his wealthy father Robert Grant (Treat Williams) that believes Ava is a gold digger. Ava had a tough childhood with her abusive father Casey (Stephen Lang) that trained her in martial arts and other fights. Ava and Derek travel to Caribe in honeymoon and soon they meet the local Manny (Ismael Cruz Cordova) that invites them to go to a fashion night club. The powerful gangster Big Biz (Danny Trejo) hits on Ava and Derek and she fight with his minions. On the next morning, Manny takes them to a tyrolean crossing but out of the blue, Derek has a problem with his gear and falls off in a valley, breaking his leg. Ava finds him and an ambulance takes Derek to a local clinic. Ava follows the ambulance in Manny´s motorcycle but crashes and loses the sight the ambulance. When she goes to the clinic, she does not find Derek. She goes to the police station and Chief Ramón Garza (Luis Guzmán) promises to help her. But soon Ava discovers that there is a conspiracy and decides to look for her beloved husband alone.

"In the Blood" Is a full of action film where the greatest attraction is Gina Carano. She proves to be an excellent action hero. The flawed story has many plot holes but is highly entertaining. The motives for the abduction and the accident of Derek Grant is messy and does not make sense. The beginning is promising but the conclusion is the weak part of the plot. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Sangue na Veia" ("Blood in the Vein")

Was chatting with another IMDb member about the top MMA films and while comparing lists, he offered me this pick. I had never heard of it so I tracked it down.

(BTW, as I have made clear in my other reviews, I have seen hundreds of MMA films going back to the 1970s when I used to watch Shaw Bros Asian imports in Chinatown with no subtitles. My two all time faves are FORBIDDEN KINGDOM and Tom Hardy's WARRIOR).

This is sort a sub-genre in the class, evidencing an attempt to launch Gina Carano (of Haywire fame) as a star on her own. It is a B movie but a well directed and photographed one. (The script, not so great).

Carano does hold the attention, she does have star power. What is really interesting is that she is presented in many ways as "the perfect women" in a film that is clearly meant for a male audience. She is pretty, she loves her man, she is good company, and if any dude messes with you or kidnaps you, she can mop the floor with him.

There is a scene where the cops try to get her off the island where her husband was abducted by putting her on a boat. She not only escapes from handcuffs but dives off the back of the boat and swims back to the island. Very Johnny Weissmuller. Very 1930s Tarzan.

Recommended. Sort of.

And if you really want to see the perfect woman, check out Rehab Addict where the diminutive Nicole Curtis is not only perky and fun but can fix anything in the house that goes wrong.

This movie is worth watching for the simple reason that the protagonist is a "REAL" woman and its refreshing. not some toothpick bimbo who could never even do a sit up never mind handle an actual brawl. we need some Hollywood writers to really write a plot that fits this type of woman. Its time for a change. And whatever your thinking im not a chubby chaser even though the hero of this movie is in fantastic shape. My wife is 100 lbs and i think she would a agree Hollywood needs some new material! The acting is up to par and its a nice change for once. Stallone should include this chick in the next expendables. and maybe add Zhang Ziyi and

Kurt Russell. Simon

This is the first film I've seen Gina Carano in.

The first 10 minutes were ho-hum story establishment and character intro.

Then - FOCUS - a complete personality change - from the lovely damsel with husband on honeymoon (almost a travelogue documentary) - into a transformation of fighting machine with complete anatomical knowledge of the body killing points.

Gina does a credible job of acting a person who has lost someone dear - in a strange and dangerous country.

Her ability to draw you into the character and keep you holding on to hope is admirable.

Would love to see her in a film alongside Angelina Jolie - which is not a comparison comment - they are two distinctly different personalities which is refreshing to see.

Well done Gina - will watch out for more from you.

I'm a retired man that loves females in movies like the next guy. This movie stands out in my mind because the lead female isn't the typical bimbo 'eye candy' which are in many movies. She fights for justice no matter the odds. If you are like me and you are always rolling your eyes because the chick is completely useless and crying or pleading for mercy... when thugs try to move in on her and treat her like a cheap piece... she is their worst nightmare. It is hard to explain all the things she does because that would give the movie away, but suffice it to say if you wrong her, you will pay! If you want to see a movie where the female fights for justice... In the Blood... fills the bill.

I really enjoyed the story, the set-up, with the family dynamic between grooms father and his son. Interesting twists and turns, great action and realism. The club scene was terrific and the fight sequences well done. The mountain scenery was stunning and the zip line scenes, freaked me out. Gina's acting continues to improve with every project. The slow build of frustration and emotional hopelessness was wonderfully portrayed.

I would have liked to see a bit more character development and dialog. Derek's father and sister needed more lines to show the turmoil of doubt that Derek's father had towards Ava.

Watched it on Direct TV and started the movie very late. I could have paused the movie and come the next day to finish viewing it but I couldn't - I was hooked.

Loved it - heart pounding suspense.

This turned out to be a really good action film that pays homage to tough female leads movies from the 90's, but is still fresh, and told quite well. Great cast with Luis Guzman, and Danny Trejo backing up Gina Carano, and Amaury Nolasco as the story leads tightly to the final showdown, and a very acceptable ending. Not to say there are not plot holes, and technical problems that stand out like sore thumbs (Gloves, or no gloves make up your minds. Would have just made more sense to have them using gloves.) Over all though after a very boring first 20- 30 minutes the movie did become Enjoyable for me, the tension amps up, and the action is very realistic, so I am inclined to recommend this to action fans, and people who love to see a woman taking no crap. Not for everyone, but a great afternoon movie for a rained out weekend.

I rated this movie an 8 out of 10, as it was full of action, and even had some humour here and there. I watch action movies to be entertained, and "In the Blood" was very entertaining.

Gina Carano did an excellent job in this movie, and is proving to be a better actress with each of her movies. She was also great in "Fast & Furious 6." I agree that "Haywire" was not the best movie ever made, but she is getting much better, and certainly has the physical ability to star in action movies.

I look forward to seeing more movies starring Gina. She could be the next Angelina Jolie.

'IN THE BLOOD': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

MMA fighter turned action movie star Gina Carano plays the lead in this crime thriller directed by John Stockwell (who's directed other popular B movies like 'BLUE CRUSH' and 'INTO THE BLUE'). It was written by James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin (the duo also wrote the horror movie sequel 'JOY RIDE 2: DEAD AHEAD') and tells the story of a recently married woman, with a violent past, who's husband goes missing on the couple's Caribbean honeymoon (after he has a freak zip-lining accident). It costars Cam Gigandet, Luis Guzman, Danny Trejo, Amaury Nolasco, Stephen Lang, Treat Williams and Ismael Cruz Cordova. It's not as good as Carano's first venture into leading lady action flick status ('HAYWIRE') but it is surprisingly well made and effective.

Carano plays Ava, a skilled fighter who was raised to be an emotionless killing machine, by her abusive father (Lang). With her marriage to Derek (Gigandet) she's hoping to leave that life behind but it of course haunts her once again, when the couple goes honeymooning in the Caribbean. First they get into a bar fight with a local crime boss, named Big Biz (Trejo), and his men. Then Derek has an accident, while the two are zip-lining, and goes missing on his way to the hospital. Ava will stop at nothing to find out what happened to him; even when the police, lead by Chief Ramon Garza (Guzman), are useless.

The movie is surprisingly intense and brutally violent. It's well written (for a B movie), with plenty of surprising twists, and decently directed too, by Stockwell. The cast is all impressive (for a film like this) especially Carano though. I'm really interested in seeing her continue to pursue this action movie career and I think she's off to a great start. Her part in 'FAST & FURIOUS 6' was a bit too small (and wasted her talents) but with this flick, and 'HAYWIRE', I think she's really making a name for herself (as an action movie star). It would have been really cool to see her play Wonder Woman, in the upcoming 'JUSTICE LEAGUE' franchise, she's already dating Superman (Henry Cavill)!

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As far as the movie Taken, I would rate a 9. I would rate this movie a 7. The reason i compare these two is because of the premise of the movie.

Despite the lead role being played by an actress who is still learning to act, the movie is entertaining with some unexpected twists.

Remember that the lead actress is an actual female MMA Champion. She's well fit for a role like this, but not quite ready for Academy Awards. She's somewhat like a very attractive female version of Arnold Schwarzennager. Arnold wasn't the greatest actor when he first started acting. He was a Body Builder who played flat characters and over time became a much better actor. Most of his early success was due to his accent and one liners. If you notice, his acting has much improved in his role in "The Escape Plan". Who doesn't remember some famous Arnie quotes? I hated the movie Haywire, and even turned it off early on. I was hesitant to watch this movie due to bad reviews and worrying about how bad the acting would be.

I'd say that this movie is a good B movie. A lot of what makes the movie is how believable the main actress is at actually being able to kill someone. The rest of the cast surrounding her make it much more watchable. This is a movie where its best to shut off your brain, and enjoy some interesting and compelling action sequences.

While the movie is definitely far from reality, it was never supposed to be realistic. The movie lacks comedic relief, which drags it down a bit, but you feel drawn in and forget about your day's worries when watching it.

The point of a movie is to entertain. Did this movie entertain me? Absolutely. I wasn't bored at any point in watching the movie, I would watch it again with a friend when I'm in the mood.

While the movie is quite predictable, there are some scenes I didn't expect. I wouldn't take an under-ager to see this movie, nor a hot date, but you can enjoy this movie with people who enjoy action flicks.

The movie is not nearly as bad as the rating it received. The movie isn't one of my top 50, but it is for sure worth a watch or two.

If you plan to watch this movie, please do yourself a favor and shut off your brain and enjoy it for what it is.

While the main actress is far from the best actress, she has improved somewhat since her role in Haywire. She has potential to become a better actress.

There are definitely some disturbing scenes. If you don't like extremely violent and dark action movies, this movie is not for you.

If it wasn't for being able to enjoy this movie because of the reasons I listed, I would rate it a 4/10. The unique action scenes and interesting characters make up for the mediocre acting. The movie ends well, but I won't ruin the ending for anyone.

"In The Blood" is a beautifully crafted action movie that I was surprised I didn't hear any more about.

The movie follows Dana and Derek Grant (Gina Carano and Cam Gigdagnet), a newly married couple on vacation in the Dominican Republic. As usual, everything goes swimmingly until they meet a new random character, Manny, at a restaurant. After speaking with Ava and Derek for a bit, he invites them to go zip-lining on the "longest zip-line in the Caribbean," but not before inviting them out to a nightclub later that night where some trouble stirs up between Ava and a local pimp (Danny Trejo). Ava is a seasoned fighter, so she deals with Trejo and his cohorts, ultimately leading to the couple getting kicked out of the club. The couple then returns to their rental house for the night.

The next day, the couple goes zip-lining with Manny. Everything sounds great and the zip- lining starts off without a hitch, until the couple reaches the second mile-long zip-line and Ava doesn't want to go. However, thrill-seeking Derek flies off onto the Zip-line, but halfway through, his safety harness rips, leaving him stranded many feet above the trees, and half a mile from the end of the line. Manny comes out to save him, but after getting ahold of Derek, his grip slips and Derek falls to the ground, severely injuring his leg. Derek is then rushed to the hospital sans Ava because of "insurance issues" with the ambulance. Ava follows the ambulance, but not before being cut off by a Jeep. The driver takes her to the hospital Derek is supposedly at, but they have no record of Derek being admitted.

The rest of the movie focuses on Ava desperately searching for her husband. First, she goes to the police, but after being less than helpful, Ava takes the search into her own hands. She continues being a kick-ass fighter with numerous thugs, but is arrested by the cops twice more. However, being the badass she is, Ava escapes each time. After searching some more and being let down, Ava starts to lose hope, but then she finds out some new information to restart the search. The rest of the movie is for you to find out by watching.

Overall, this was a great movie with some awesome action, and kickass fighting by Gina Carano. I loved how this movie strayed away from the typical husband/boyfriend searches for wife in remote country and shows a woman kicking some ass. To add to that, Gina is not your typical 90 pound pretty-girl who in real life would never be able to to some of the things Gina did in the movie. Gina is a beautiful real woman, and I would not be surprised to see some of the things she did in the movie done in real life by women like her. This movie has suspense, action, love, and everything in-between, all meticulously implemented without overdoing it. The only reason I give this movie 9 instead of 10 is because I thought the set-up was a little stale and overused (if they wouldn't have taken the invitation of the stranger none of the events would have happened and they could have just had a nice honeymoon like normal people, but you can't make a movie out of that!).

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)

Rating: 3.8/5 stars

A terrific action vehicle for MMA and Muay Thai star Gina Carano to show off her amazing fight skills. But hey, the lady can even act and displays a decent effort in some of the movie's emotional and dramatic scenes, before the real mayhem is unleashed – not that it really matters, but it's always welcome to see an action star with some acting chops.

Basically, Ms. Carano plays Ava, a newlywed on her honeymoon in a Caribbean island and for some reason – revealed only towards the end of the film – her husband gets kidnapped. Now she has to rely on everything on everything she learnt from a dark chapter in her life many years ago if she has any hope to see her husband again; a past she thought was well and truly buried once she had decided to change her life around for a simple, straightforward existence.

The Director does a competent job in presenting a simple, recycled plot – the elements of which are easily noticed by staple action fans – in a gripping, gritty manner, which keeps the narrative raw, visceral, and engaging enough to hook our attention till the very end. Yes, a few plot points may seem far-fetched, but that's pardonable in an action vehicle, which delivers on its main points of entertainment, good fight scenes, a believable script, and most importantly, a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails protagonist. Director, John Stockwell, merits special mention for presenting Gina Carano in the way she should – with beauty, sex appeal, tenacity, courage, and loads of kick-ass scenes smartly weaved into the plot to showcase her phenomenal fight skills. Along the way, we get a stupendously exciting, adrenaline-pumping, gritty action film that's sure to be remembered for some time to come. As far as the rest of the cast goes, Cam Gigandet and Ismael Cruz Cordova lend good support to the proceedings.

It's safe to say that there's a stunningly gorgeous woman who's all set to kick some serious butt in the future, as the new action star on the horizon.

This film has the distinct low-budget look. Maybe it's how they don't blur the backgrounds when people are in foreground, I don't know, but it looks cheaper than a TV show.

The star, a real-life MMA fighter, is not given decent choreography to show off her athleticism. That is perhaps the movie's biggest sin.

Her voice-over is not convincing in the slightest, like she's reading it off a napkin. That is unfortunate, as it destroys the movie from its very first minutes.

Those first minutes are shortly followed by some very awkward expository dialogue at a wedding. Everything is awkward.

Avoid.

I am impressed with the thoughtful actions of Gina Carano. I feel I have found a new and fantastic female hero. I hope there will be more to come from her. What is it with Danny Trejo? He is in every other movie these days.

Gina Carano has strength and power in her punches and isn't taking "NO" for an answer as she goes thru every detail and menace to find what she's looking for. Her character has heart and soul and responds vigilantly. I am happy finally to see a woman take the reins. Gina Carano GO!

The plot however is too thick perhaps to understand and one gets greatly lost yet the determination of Gina Carano's character (Ava) removes doubt that this film might fall over. Only the bad guys drop dead!

This movie is highly underrated.

Action packed and put together well. Kept me interested from beginning to end and I've watched it at least 6 times now..it still isn't old to me.

Gina is the first female mma superstar and way more likable than Grumpy Ronda Rousey. I will always be a fan of Carano and she ruled in this.

Definitely worth watching for the action lover.

I was thoroughly impressed.

Cant wait for the Kickboxer reboot and Deadpool. Gina is doing big things.

In The Blood starring Gina Carano remains a work in progress as an actress, but has an undeniable screen presence. She's obviously gifted with the physical stuff in action scenes, but also has a charm that works well in reactive situations. Soderbergh knew how to harness this in "Haywire" for scenes of coiled danger, and there's a sequence in In the Blood where a handcuffed Ava coaxes a police officer into escorting her to the bathroom, which we know won't end well for him. Other times, however, since the film is so much in service of her as a proactive dispenser of pain unto others, In the Blood struggles to maintain a connection amidst its forward-leaning momentum, however as a one time watch, the film holds up. Do not take the film as serious but it is quite a mysterious thrill ride. Compared to Taken, this film isn't it but for sure does share certain similarities in its premise. Gina Carano can he a threat in the future but she needs a big break through. Haywire put her up their as an audience but she needs something else.

Possibly the best female action star of our times, along with Zoe Bell, Gina Carano deserves a better vehicle than "In The Blood". It's true that in this movie you get to see a lot of Gina's fantastic body (I envy the woman who was lucky enough to get knocked out in Gina's sleeper hold - just look at her biceps and you'll know why), but it has a lot of problems: the editing is often amateurish, the cinematography is sometimes poor (although the locations are beautiful), the kidnapping story is very standard, there is practically only ONE real fight scene in the entire movie (all the rest are quick beatdowns by Gina on opponents who don't stand a chance - I hope they won't turn her into the female Steven Seagal), and the excessively cruel edge of Gina's character (she perpetrates a lot more violence than the villains) makes it hard to root for her as much as we should. Danny Trejo is on the DVD cover but he appears in no more than four scenes in total. ** out of 4.

Despite not really having been taken by Gina Carano's previous film, I decided to give this one a try as I thought that maybe a simpler and more stripped down film may suit her better – she is essentially a b- movie star in the making, so I was interested to see her let loose in a much more genre vehicle where the film would have no interest but to play to her strengths. Any doubts that I may have had that the film would not be a b-movie were dispelled pretty quickly as the film wheeled out the plot with no real effort to fill in backstory beyond one flashback sequences then lots of clunking dialogue to inform us the husband is from a wealthy family and other bits of information. So far so good (in a twisted way) as I assumed we were just clearing stuff out of the way to make more room for tension and action.

Unfortunately this is the tone for the whole film – clunkiness. The plot sees her husband go missing and, with no help from authorities and far from home, Carano has to take matters into her own hands. This she does and the end result is perhaps a few good fight scenes but generally the film lacks tension and (ironically) real impact. I was bored for too much of the film and when the action did splutter into life, it seemed determined not to build any drama and instead left it to the tough presence of the lead to do the heavy lifting. She does this to a point but she needed help that never came and it is a shame to see that she still really hasn't had the chance to turn herself into the female star for the audience that still turns out for Van Damme etc films.

The location and the nature of the film looks a bit too low-rent and this isn't helped by how detached I was from the action. Beyond Carano the cast are an odd mix of so-so turns from people you don't know, but bored ones from people you do. Gigandet seems uneasy with his damsel in distress role and doesn't know who he is. Trejo, Williams and Guzmán feel like they were cast for their names and faces and in return get a bit of a holiday shooting in a nice climate. Nolasco is a decent villain but not made the most of.

If you are in an undemanding mood then maybe this film has enough to distract you for a while, but personally I found it disappointing. The running time plods by and a plot that should be fuelled by desperation and violence is really slowed down too much and action sequences can of "happen" rather than being the result of a strong build up and delivery. Carano is physically impressive and is a decent presence if you don't ask too much from her – I'm still hoping someone can make better use of her than they have so far.

If you've done everything possible on your bucket list, and are waiting around with nothing to do with your time before you die, watch this movie.

There's as much wooden acting as Commando, but without the muscles. The story sucks, which is disappointing as it's ripped from others before yet still can't learn from any of those and make a decent go of it.

Characterisation is appallingly poor. I'm not sure what the director was doing but clearly his focus had nothing to do with the characters and their acting in each scene. Maybe he was elsewhere on another movie at the time? It certainly comes across like it.

Overall I found it wanting in every cinematic aspect - few redeeming qualities with which to call it a feature film. Other than length - they spin this out to the thick end of two hours. There's lots of killing and blood, however. And quite a bit of fighting, though boringly captured. Some others have mentioned MMA in their reviews. My view - forget martial arts here, the acronym in this effort stands for Mostly Mangled Acting.

A good waste of time if you generally feel better about yourself from laughing at D grade movies.

This film is something else. The normal beat-em-up movie involves some hunk a man who needs to save some girl. In this film the action star is a girl and, man, does she kick ass! Also, normally a lot of effort is put in faking the fight scenes so that you cannot see how bad the fighters really are. In this one, Gina Carano punches, elbows, kicks people, hits them with bats, knives, shoots them, breaks arms and legs. This is no fake, it is truly an action movie.

The plot itself is also rather interesting, the only problem that I have being the ending where they let the villain go just so that they can have an epic chase and fight afterwards. If this film doesn't make you not want to go to South-American islands, I don't know what will :)

As acting goes, Carano didn't have a very complex role, she just kicks everybody's ass, but also I didn't spot any moments in which I would say she acted badly. Danny Trejo has a very minor role, while Amaury Nolasco plays the villain really well. The husband, which I vaguely recognize, doesn't have any role, he is worse than the customary damsel, he does nothing the entire film. That was sort of amusing.

Bottom line: if you want to see really good fighting scenes in an action film that doesn't make you cringe at the idiocy of the script, this is the film for you. If you are looking for Oscar type acting and special effects, you are out of luck.

This film tells the story of a newly wed couple going to the Caribbean for honeymoon. However, things go horribly wrong when the husband disappears. She has to battle with the local gangs to get to the truth of her husband's whereabouts.

The first fifteen minutes is all about Ava and Derek having fun in the tropical paradise, and to be honest it spends too long frolicking around in beaches and jungles. It starts off too slow, but fortunately thrill and mystery finally kicks in. Gina Carano can certainly fight, and she will be a major action star if she can throw in a little more emotions when she desperately tries to find her husband.

"In the Blood" is an OK action film, don't expect too much and enjoy as it is.

Gina Carano, a top person and amazing MMA fighter. Too bad she was unable to translate this onto the big screen. Love her personality but not her films. Her acting has improved but its not good enough.

At times Gina carries the look as though shes ready for an MMA fight.

Storyline of the movie is simple and boring. Wife gets married, husband goes missing. Wife goes after the men that have taken her husband. Sounds like a rip off of Taken.

The good? Of course Gina's fighting does give the film some light. Her MMA moves are always good to watch. Even though it is highly unrealistic to do a BJJ takedown in a nightclub.

I think Gina should hold off on leading roles and take supporting roles instead to give her experience before taking on a leading role.