After their idyllic wedding, former addicts Ava and Derek (Carano and Gigandet) fly off to an even dreamier tropical honeymoon at Derek's family's palatial getaway on a remote Caribbean island. But their magical time is cut short when they're assaulted in a nightclub by a drunken local (Trejo). They're rescued by a nice-guy stranger (Cruz Cordova) who the next day takes them on a zip-lining adventure, which goes horrifically wrong. Then Derek goes missing, and when the local cop (Guzman) proves ineffective, Ava kicks into action mode to find him.

The film opens with a bit of backstory explaining how Ava's outlaw father (Lang) taught her to fight like a mixed martial-arts champ, so we know what's coming. Before the action kicks off, director Stockwell develops a nicely offhanded vibe that sets up the warm relationship between Ava and Derek with relaxed, earthy humour. And this edgy energy continues even when things turn improbably violent. Stockwell also adeptly captures the outrageous beauty of the Caribbean as well as the physicality of his cast.

Carano may have fairly limited range as an actress, but she adeptly conveys Ava's distress and tenacity, and especially the sense that Ava doesn't trust her own violent impulses. It helps that everyone she encounters in her search is shifty. And all of this is an enjoyably gritty twist on the usual girl-in-jeopardy formula, especially in the drawn-out final confrontation with the smiling villain (Nolasco).

As corny as the plot is, it's much more believable than Taken. It's also not nearly as bloodthirsty, since Ava's main goal is rescuing her husband, not slaughtering everyone in town. This doesn't mean that she's sweetness and light: you definitely would not want to cross her or have information she wants. As her daddy used to say, "Survivors have scars, losers have funerals." Which perhaps isn't the most helpful message in a violent world.

themes, language, strong violence

3.Apr.14