Ohhhhh Idris Idris Idris… I knew walking in to this movie that I wasn’t going to get an Oscar winner..just in case you’re wondering, I was right. 😀  What you do get though, is a mildly entertaining, but pretty much feeling like straight out of a Telenovela, series of events.  I’m a big fan of both Idris Elba & Taraji P. Henson and both do a decent job here in at least trying to make this plot believable.  I mean let’s face it..what do you think of when you hear Idris Elba’s name ~ handsome, talented, gritty and a bit funny at times to name a few. The same could be said for Taraji.  Here Elba is just flat out villainous & Taraji somewhat empowering.

Before I go on here ~ I want everyone who reads this review to know that everything I am about to describe takes place in the trailer, so is no way a spoiler as I hate big spoilers in reviews and try to NEVER do them!! (end note)

The film starts off introducing the audience to Elba’s character, “Colin Evans”, at his parole hearing. Colin is an extremely violent and dangerous felon, who is denied parole and escapes  during his transfer back to prison. Taraji P. Henson’s character, “Terri”, is a former career women, a District Attorney turned stay-at-home mom with a toddler and a baby. Colin arrives at Terri’s home, while her husband “Jeffrey” (Henry Simmons) is of course, conveniently away on a golf weekend for his fathers birthday, and Colin runs his vehicle off the road in a big storm, and proceeds to ask to use her telephone. – This is of course when all the chaos begins.. While there are many many..and I mean MANY predictable moments including the ever so stereo-typed, single, ‘in heat’ best friend “Meg” (Leslie Bibb) coming over for a ‘girls night’ and coming on to Colin etc etc.. You really do see it all coming right at you and no offense to the actors, as they have the power to elevate this film and make do as best they can.

Elba handles Colin’s psychotic breakdowns in a unique manner. Most films just show a villainous character in their murderous rage, but “NO GOOD DEED” will take you through Colin’s mind for a few seconds before he snaps. Elba, being the talented man that he is, does an incredible job showing Colin’s ‘normality’ versus his more well… ‘psycho stage’.

For the most part, the screenplay, coming from Aimee Lagos, is completely predictable though probably not meant to be that way.  There are very few twists and turns that you won’t see coming or that will have you on the edge of your seat, except for maybe one singular twist.  And for me at least, laughing at scenes that maybe weren’t meant to be funny, I can’t help it, if something is bad, I tend to laugh, especially when it just seems like Idris takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I mean ouch! ouch! and ouch! but let’s hear it for #GirlPower here from Taraji!

My summation: Even though Colin is every person’s character to hate, Idris does him justice and yes, Idris Elba is still my choice to be the next James Bond 😀 I mean everyone gets a bad movie here and there right. Though there are more plot holes than a slice of swiss cheese..and yes, it’s also cheesy, lacks complete and total believability and though neither Elba nor Henson can save this mess of a film, as I noted before, it’s cheap thrills plot IS mildly entertaining. And it did sweep last weekend’s box office though I’m guessing that won’t last. Sadly ‘No Good Deed’ is just that..No good..and I’m probably giving it a much higher grade than it deserves just based on the fact that I adore Idris & Taraji. #sillyme  oh and if  “No Good Deed” teaches you anything..it’s the same old cliche, for crimeny sakes, don’t let strangers in your house on a stormy night when you’re home alone. *sigh*

Grade: C-   (below average)

#peggyatthemovies