Because that’s how I got to watch what might be my new favorite action movie, Haywire.

The plot is pretty standard, but the format it adopts takes action movies to a new place. The opening scene provides enough information for viewers to know that Mallory Kane, our lead, has no problems taking control of whatever situation she finds herself, and that we are dropping into the middle of a story.

Most of the film unfold as the lead, Gina Carano, recounts the events the led up to the opening moments. This entails many action scenes as she finds herself fighting what eventually seems to consist of everyone.

But that’s perfect for an action movie. And the fight scenes feel real as though I could actually learn how to do them, which is very different from most action films. And as much as Carano looks like she can take on the world, when she gets hurt, she shows it, which only adds to the realism.

This movie won’t win awards for dialogue or plot, but that’s not why I went to see it. I wanted to see an action movie that was entertaining and had some cool fight scenes. Haywire delivered, and I will probably pick it up on DVD to add to my collection.

The movie has some good fight scenes, and I like that it highlights a part of history that we frequently ignore in the U.S. The characters are not as fleshed out as they could be, and the dialogue is a bit flat and clichéd.

But it captures the same feeling, in all of its flawed glory, of U.S. movies in the time of World War II. It tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American air-force division, with the heroism and patriotism of movies like Yankee Doodle Dandy.

From the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives Flickr

I appreciate that the movie highlights the accomplishments and drive of the men who fought to fly and then cam home to fight for equality. The movie focuses on the strength of the men who made up the Tuskegee experiment in the guise of a blockbuster. And the format makes the information approachable for a broad audience.

I do wish the movie was more cohesive in its approach to the story, but I think as an introduction with entertainment value it works. I would recommend the movie for all audiences who are old enough to handle loud noises and some gore. As tame as this movie is, because the focus is on the people, it remains a war film, which means on-screen deaths occur but with less intensity than a crime show on tv. I’d recommend it for people who would like a brief overview of a moment in U.S. history or people who like to watch WWII dogfights.