The expectations for Hitman were average. I didn't like the video game; staring at the back of some one's shaved and tattooed head was less than gratifying, and the game was nearly uncontrollable, I almost garroted myself more than once.

So I was pleased to see the movie merely paid homage to the game. There were a couple funny references to the game, the best being when Agent 47 interrupts a couple kids playing the Hitman video game.

Did you know the movie was produced by Vin Diesel? When is the last time you heard his name mentioned?

Anyway, Hitman was a hit. Better than several of the James Bond films. The plot was good. The fact that there was a plot was better. The fact that there was a plot and it was good was better yet. The main character was played by Timothy Olyphant, and he did a great job of being stoic. The other acting was good to average. Fight scenes were mostly well choreographed, except the train fight scene when everyone agrees to put down guns and draw swords in order to 'die with some dignity...' Hmmph.

What made the film better yet was what got left out. There is so much product placement in the James Bond films that I actually noticed there was Very Little product placement in the Hitman film. Sobe, Audi, and McDonalds notwithstanding. I never saw a closeup of his cellphone or wristwatch.

And the hot female lead Nika, played by Olga Kurylenko does a realistic job as well, and gets mostly naked. In a daring First for male-lead-shooter-films, the hero does NOT have a sex scene with her, (despite her advances) although he does treat her poorly at first.

Let's see, take a James Bond film with a good plot, remove the sex scene, remove the main characters hair and sense of humor (possibly the entire personality), and remove the product placement, add a Scotch with Ice instead of a Vodka Martiti, and some great locations in Russia, Istanbul and Bulgaria, then you're pretty close to Hitman.

Art Is Resistance
-Zero

Labels: movie reviews