The only thing is good in this movie only Gina Carano. The other things regarding this movie is so bad. With such incredible casts like Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, Fassbender, Chaning Tatum, etc this film can not compete "The Raid" franchise. I mean "The Raid" budget must be lower than this movie but the car chase is better than this movie.

There is no doubt that Soderbergh is one of the most commercially viable independent filmmakers working today. Consistently inventive with his directing techniques and constantly challenging himself with various genres. It's unfortunate that his gracious effort in the action genre succumbs to "over direction". An operative is sent to Barcelona to retrieve an asset, however she soon discovers that it's all a setup and must investigate who the culprit is. There are certain elements that really work, and many that send this conspiracy thriller tumbling down the route of genericism. The action, although infrequent, was shot with precision. It allowed Carano, a well established MMA fighter, to perform her own stunts cleanly. A refreshing change from the "shaky cam" method and rapid quick cuts. The ensemble cast all performed well, sure there were several moments of monotony, however it's a cold calculated environment. Soderbergh maintains a professional aesthetic, both in characters and production, that enhances the nature of the conspiracy. Plenty of varying locations, many kidney punches and a plethora of headlocks. Job done. The problem is that Soderbergh's direction is so outstanding that it acts as a veil for a dull, formulaic and thinly written plot. What should've been an engaging story with decent camera techniques has now become a case of style over substance, and it just doesn't work. Simply put, it is boring. I don't care for these characters. I don't care for the conspiracy plot. I don't care for the film. It is so focused on introducing famous actors as potential culprits that anything engaging is subsided. The dialogue lacks personality, but I get it. It's a concise thriller. Our protagonist obtains the information she requires and moves on. Rinse and repeat until she has gone through everyone. Haywire was a missed opportunity. Despite the fantastic choreography, direction and cast, you just can't utilise independent contemporary techniques to convey a simple plot. Otherwise, you lose the story which should always come first.

With Steven Soderburgh at the helm and a multi A-list line up (Ewen MacGregor, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Bill Paxton & Channing Tatum), this should have been far far better than it turned out to be. That being said, it's largely unknown main player Gina Corano does a fantastic job in the lead role. The extras on the DVD would suggest that this whole project was built around her, which is amazing in itself, using an amazing amount of recognised talent around somebody who was only really previously known as an MMA fighter. She was obviously unphased by all this and easily comes out as the star of the show. The plot is a little confusing at first, but given that it was a mere 88 minutes long, it soon pieces itself together. Most of the main stars roles, apart from MacGregor, are not very big at all but it's not the acting that is the fault here....it's the character building. Basically, there isn't any at all (probably due to the films length), which suggests to me that Soderburgh could have made a longer, more intriguing movie. The films premise is quite intriguing itself, but it's lack of feeling leaves the viewer a little flat. Soderburgh does not however focus on Corano's fighting talents alone.....to me he has helped to create a very good actress and this reflects in some of the films that she has appeared in since. To sum up....I found this quite a good spy thriller, but in the main I was left a little disappointed when there was so much talent on show.

Absolute drivel. Everyone involved in the film should be slapped and sent to bed early without their tea. Please spend your time watching something else. If you much watch it look out for the tumbleweed, it was totally the highlight for me.The acting is weak, the plot in disarray and, as another reviewer has already stated, the film just ends with no explanation or conclusion. Not like a French film ending, it just stops as it the director had something better to do than finish the final scene.An embarrassment to the genre. With the caliber of the cast I had expected much more. I've watched many terrible films before, but this is the first that has motivated me to get an IMDb account and write a review to warn others!