January is the worst month of the year. Everybody gets post-Christmas blues, school starts back up and there are no good movies in theaters. That means for one month, empty theaters echo with the calls for something good to be released. Although it’s not really great or captivating, “Contraband” halfheartedly answers the call with a ho-hum heist flick that at least won’t put audiences to sleep.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Mark Wahlberg, an above-average retired smuggler who has escaped the business to live a peaceful life with his trophy wife (Kate Beckinsale) and his two faceless children. But when his brother-in-law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) gets in trouble with his boss Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), Mark Wahlberg and his friend Sebastian (Ben Foster) have to get back in the game to try and save Andy. Of course, almost nothing goes right — friends betray each other and guns are shot.

The plot won’t be winning any awards anytime soon, but anyone going to see “Contraband” already knows what to expect: Mark Wahlberg fighting bad guys. Surprisingly, this is where the film is weakest: there is almost no action to be found. There is exactly one shoot-out, in which Wahlberg doesn’t even participate. There are no thrilling foot chases or car races to be found. Anyone expecting to get their blood-pumping with some hot blooded American action will be sorely disappointed with “Contraband.”

However, the lack of action serves to put more emphasis on the heist aspects of the movie. Luckily, director Baltasar Kormakur has an eye for this genre, as the parts that actually involve smuggling are easily the most interesting. Especially toward the end, the experience becomes enriched with a sense of urgency that really helps carry it through its almost two hour running time. Quick-cut camera shots and a suspenseful score round out the rest the film.

Despite being a decent actor, Giovanni Ribisi could easily be this year’s worst villain. His high-pitched, nasally voice is far too grating, as is his overly insane attitude. On the other side of the battle, Mark Wahlberg portrays Mark Wahlberg as well as he has before. The reason Wahlberg isn’t mentioned by his character’s name is because he doesn’t play that character: he plays Mark Wahlberg. Everyone knows what to expect from Marky Mark, and this bland caricature isn’t any different from any number of countless “tough guy” roles he’s played before.

The rest of the supporting cast, while good, is pretty much wasted. What was Kate Beckinsale doing here? She can do work above this film, but at least she gave it her all. Ben Foster also plays Sebastian well, but doesn’t give him any standout qualities either. J.K. Simmons makes a surprise appearance as the captain of the ship Mark Wahlberg sails on, and of course he and his dastardly mustache steal the show.

So with all of this said, there’s really not that much to hate about it. Technically, there is nothing wrong with the film. It is competently shot and executed, with every actor giving performances that, while nowhere near the best they can do, are still enough to make the film passable. The story is the usual “one more job” fare, and every twist can be seen coming after the first five minutes of the film. The problem with “Contraband” is that it adds nothing new to an already saturated genre that is desperately in need of a kick in the pants.

There are much worse films that could be released in January, however, and the fact that “Contraband” can hold an audience’s attention for two hours is proof that the film is at least watchable. Although nowhere near a great thriller, audiences could be tricked into seeing worse. “Contraband” is the surprise hit of the driest month in cinema of the year.

—

Speakeasy Rating: B

“Contraband”

Starring Mark Walhberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster

Rated R for violence, pervasive language and brief drug use