One of the greatest fears of most parents is the loss or abduction of their child and this has become a familiar theme in action thrillers. When I saw the poster and trailer for Protector (2025), I was eager to watch it particularly because Mila Jovovich, one of the actresses I enjoy watching in action thrillers, takes the lead role.
Protector is an action thriller written by Bong-Seob Mun and directed by Adrian Grünberg starring Milla Jovovich, Isabel Myers, Manny Montana and other supporting actors. The movie focuses on Nikki Halstead (Milla Jovovich), a decorated special forces soldier who once lived by the rules. She retires, leaving the chaos of deployment behind in the hope of finally being present for her teenage daughter, Chloe (Isabel Myers).
In the space of one evening, Nikki's fragile peace is ripped apart when she wakes up in an abandoned factory, disoriented and alone only to discover that Chloe has been kidnapped by an efficient human trafficking ring.
With little time to find her daughter, she falls back on the military skills she thought she had left behind. Her search takes her deep into the criminal underworld and puts her directly against a ruthless crime syndicate. Things become more complicated when the police and the military begin hunting her as well, turning her from a desperate mother searching for her daughter into the city's most wanted fugitive.
What starts as a mother's desperate attempt to bring her daughter home becomes a violent fight for survival. Can Nikki successfully find her daughter and bring the culprits down without upsetting the law enforcement agencies?
My Review And Rating
Don't we love it when villains who have committed terrible acts get their just desserts and are made to pay in interesting ways? Well, that's the interesting plot of this movie and it reminds me of Taken starring Liam Neeson and some other action thrillers that adopt a similar premise. I don't condone nor promote vigilante justice but it feels good to see those who have wronged someone get what is due to them and Milla Jovovich delivers on this role spectacularly.
Director Adrian Grunberg gives us a ruthless action thriller where we see Milla Jovovich as a mother who wants nothing more than to bring her missing daughter back home. Grunberg reminds his audience that he was the director of Rambo: Last Blood (2019) and Apocalypto (2009). I saw touches of his magic in every scene and it was kind of nostalgic for me.
The scene arrangements are good and the movie ends in an unexpected way. I love how Grunberg arranged the scenes. His directorial style makes the plot unpredictable though towards the end, it might seem confusing to many viewers who don't understand the concept of “narrative subversion directional style”. In my opinion, it is quite clever of Grunberg. He defies expectations and challenges the conventional ideas viewers have come to expect from action thrillers.
Also, he disrupts the traditional structure of a typical revenge story to portray one of the themes not usually talked about in the military which is retrograde amnesia. This condition happens often when military officials who have experienced war, death, loss and pain don't process them but rather compartmentalize their emotions, grief, and psychological stress. This movie is not just a revenge movie but a movie that brings awareness to Retrograde Amnesia.
I like that this movie not only gives its audience action-packed moments, it also explores the emotions and acts that fuel maternal fury. Milla Jovovich is spectacular as a bruised and exhausted mother running on guilt and adrenaline.
The action sequences are interesting to watch as every chase and confrontation portrays the cost of maternal love and protection. As I watched, I wondered what happens when a person who is trained to neutralise threats like Nikki Halstead is also a parent who must now choose love and presence in her daughter's life over duty.
The same skills that once served her country must now serve her personal mission.
As an actress, Milla Jovovich is outstanding. Ever since I watched her performance in The Fifth Element and the Resident Evil films, I have enjoyed watching her take on strong, fearless characters in action movies. She's older now and at fifty, she still moves with decent strength though not with the same speed as when she was younger. Still, her performance is convincing.
The only flaw I would point out is the transitions and lighting in the action scenes. Like most action films, it takes great work and probably a brilliant technician to get these things right. I wish Grunberg put more effort into this aspect of the movie.
Rating this movie, I'd give it 7 out of the 10 stars. Protector is a fine, enjoyable action thriller that combines a mother's determination with twists, fights and suspense.
All images above are screenshots from the movie
Thank you for visiting and supporting my blog 🤗
Rating: 70/100
