“The Lair” doesn’t finish as spectacularly as it starts; but that just means it’s a good genre picture and not a great one.

The Lair checks off some genre fans’ qualitative boxes, thanks in part to co-writer/director Neil Marshall’s knack for top-this violence, post-spaghetti-western war movie repartee, and general eye for action filmmaking.

Aside from Hadi Khanjanpour, as a coolheaded Afghan prisoner, the acting is pretty awful, though the script is so clunky and the characters so clichéd it’s tough to blame the performers.

While it may not rank among Marshall's best work, it's an overall enjoyable watch that highlights more of his flair for practical effects.