Hitman: Agent 47 is a reboot coming on the heels of it's predecessor. The original Hitman was released back in 2007 and was not well-received. So, of course, a decision was made to blink the first film out of existence canonically with the hope that the follow-up would be more successful. Now video game movies have a well established track record for turning into horrible adaptations of beloved series but even with that in mind, I wasn't prepared for the travesty that was Hitman: Agent 47. Skip Woods has written both films and quite honestly, I hope he stops there. It is quite clear that this movie was made with no intention of being faithful to the source material but rather with the intent to appeal to a mass audience and ironically falls flat in that attempt as well.
Based on the popular video game series developed by IO Interactive, Hitman: Agent 47 revolves around a cloned assassin for hire known only as Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) whose skilled expertise places him in high demand among the wealthy and elite. He's the culmination of decades of research, endowed with unprecedented strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. His latest target is a corporation that plans to unlock the secret of his past to create an army of killers even more powerful than him. With help from a young woman, the unique assassin confronts revelations about his own origins in an epic battle with his deadliest foe.
Hitman: Agent 47's plot does not go beyond anything seen in the trailers which is disappointing because this particular story is ripped directly from a recent installment in the series so the movie doesn't even have the distinction of possessing a shred of originality. Hitman has always been about stealth, with focus placed upon 47's resourcefulness and ability to carefully navigate through the environment before eliminating unassuming targets. These moments are few and far between and have been replaced with unnecessary scenes with an emphasis on heavy action. Disguises make their way in as they did in the first film along with a number of other callbacks to the series. I will say that the stunt coordinators deserve special mention because specific action sequences are impressive but are not enough to salvage this disaster. The Audi product placement is really annoying and is just another clue as to the motivations behind the film. But the best example that demonstrates the lack of thought and care that went into this film is the fact that Zachary Quinto's character is named John Smith, which drew a groan from the audience when he was first introduced on screen.
With the current slate of movies out this weekend, I cannot possibly recommend this film. It is simply a bland and uninspired take on a character that had the potential to be portrayed as an enigmatic individual. Even the most hardcore Hitman fan will find it difficult to appreciate this film because it strays too far from what makes the stealth series special by offering up a generic action movie and a pretty pathetic one at that.
Grade: C-
Based on the popular video game series developed by IO Interactive, Hitman: Agent 47 revolves around a cloned assassin for hire known only as Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) whose skilled expertise places him in high demand among the wealthy and elite. He's the culmination of decades of research, endowed with unprecedented strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. His latest target is a corporation that plans to unlock the secret of his past to create an army of killers even more powerful than him. With help from a young woman, the unique assassin confronts revelations about his own origins in an epic battle with his deadliest foe.
Hitman: Agent 47's plot does not go beyond anything seen in the trailers which is disappointing because this particular story is ripped directly from a recent installment in the series so the movie doesn't even have the distinction of possessing a shred of originality. Hitman has always been about stealth, with focus placed upon 47's resourcefulness and ability to carefully navigate through the environment before eliminating unassuming targets. These moments are few and far between and have been replaced with unnecessary scenes with an emphasis on heavy action. Disguises make their way in as they did in the first film along with a number of other callbacks to the series. I will say that the stunt coordinators deserve special mention because specific action sequences are impressive but are not enough to salvage this disaster. The Audi product placement is really annoying and is just another clue as to the motivations behind the film. But the best example that demonstrates the lack of thought and care that went into this film is the fact that Zachary Quinto's character is named John Smith, which drew a groan from the audience when he was first introduced on screen.
With the current slate of movies out this weekend, I cannot possibly recommend this film. It is simply a bland and uninspired take on a character that had the potential to be portrayed as an enigmatic individual. Even the most hardcore Hitman fan will find it difficult to appreciate this film because it strays too far from what makes the stealth series special by offering up a generic action movie and a pretty pathetic one at that.
Grade: C-
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