Directed by:
Xavier GensScreenplay:
Skip WoodsCinematography:
Laurent BarèsComposer:
Geoff ZanelliCast:
Timothy Olyphant, Robert Knepper, Dougray Scott, Ольга Куриленко, Ulrich Thomsen, Henry Ian Cusick, Patrick Ligardes, Eriq Ebouaney, James Faulkner (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
The "Hitman" is a genetically-engineered, elite assassin known only as Agent 47. His hallmarks are lethal grace, unwavering precision, and resolute pride in his work. But even 47 couldn't anticipate a "random equation" in his life exactitude: the unexpected stirrings of his conscience and the unfamiliar emotions aroused in him by a mysterious Russian woman. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (11)
A much bloodier Jason Bourne after hair removal, filmed following the "How to rip off a script and look original" manual. It's not just the music that's stolen from Bourne, and in a way the concept (the killing of a Russian politician, the pursued protagonist always one step ahead), but also some of the scenes, perhaps the most blatant of which is Hitman's analysis of the surrounding diners in a restaurant and listing everything he memorized upon entering. It wouldn't matter so much if there was at least one scene worth pressing the PLAY button repeatedly for. It's not boring, but it's out of your head before you can say Hitman. And it's hard to develop any sympathy for a main character who unscrupulously shoots a man in the back of the head. I haven't played the game and I don't even want to.
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I only played part two of the game this is based on, but I would say that it looked completely the opposite to what Gens tries to present us here (although it’s clear from various details that he knows the series of games back to front, cf. the rubber duck). Instead of wild action sequences and dialog, the game was more about crawling and thinking up the least obvious approach possible. Even “Forty-Seven" had some depth of character. While Olyphant (although I like him and I have no issues with uncompromising hard guys who ooze respect) is about as charismatic as me in this role. So, great material, but nothing comes of it. And the screenplay... Even if any screenplay was ever written, you won’t come across it for the entire ninety minutes. Gens’ Hitman is simply an action pastiche with uninspiringly filmed action that is closer to being a C-movie, rather than coming anywhere near being an A-movie. Lots of stealing (as far as music is concerned), unfaithful to the game it was based on (and to god knows what else) and dumb to the very core. But does that necessarily mean that it isn’t entertaining? No in the least. Because the celluloid Hitman is entertaining. Intentionally or not.
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It's true that there were a lot of logic errors, but I decided to be generous with my rating. The biggest problem with the writing was that it was so dumb in places that it bored me. Olga had been looking forward to finally starring in a porn movie, but they didn't let her use her full potential. Also, the machine gun burst from the Mil Mi- 24 fired at the temple came from the launchers of unguided missiles, but okay...
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Say what you want, but Timothy Olyphant IS Hitman. He can shoot silently or with a big bang, he can accomplish what he is tasked with, and if someone double-crosses him, he can overcome any obstacles (which in this case means a larger number of them than usual). He takes a pair of his best and most precise friends and goes exactly where he intends to. And yet he is not heartless, and his forced relationship with Nika is a perfect example of that. I won't let anyone convince me that it's just a way to get Olga Kurylenko's sexy character into the movie, because Agent 47, compared to the source material, is successfully humanized with a natural background and his confusion when interacting with someone other than an enemy is so believable and appropriate. A different assassin was born. Different from what he was created to be and different from how he was born in the game. But regardless, he is here, and the fact that an immediate sequel with any game storyline wasn't made immediately remained for me an unpleasant and burning debt for quite a while.
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It's definitely not a total disaster because Timothy Olyphant gave the character an interesting ambivalence through his appearance. On the other hand, one indeed expects a bit more from such a film than just ordinary action sequences. I generally love the theme of assassins. This is entertainment worth a single watch.
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