Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) is a genetically modified assassin. He has been bred and raised for his occupation.
When the Agency is shut down, the founder of the Agent program Litvenko, (Ciarán Hinds) goes into hiding. Agent 47 disappears.
Years later, when a new group of ruthless elites, known as the Syndicate, want to restart the Agent program, they fail in every attempt. They need Litvenko to come out of hiding.
Sent in to locate Litvenko’s daughter Katia, (Hannah Ware) is a new breed of Agent, John Smith (Zachary Quinto). It is believed she will be able to lead them to her father. If she won’t, they will kill her.
The only thing standing in the way is Agent 47.
We say, “It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.”
TAYLOR: Hitman: Agent 47 is a video game movie. Lots of killing, flashy action, fisticuffs, gunplay, stabbing, running, jumping, ducking. Although done with a bit of style and nice overall look, unless movies about violent video games are your cup of tea, I don’t think I can really recommend seeing this.
For someone who sees everything, it’s just more of the same. Technically, the film is very well done. There is some great stunt work and nearly flawless visual effects. But once the whatever-it-is blows up, all explosions look the same, all punches make the same sound, all car chases end in escape.
I think I’m saying it’s unimaginative.
HOWE: I thought it was very well done. I felt it has to be one of the better game-to-movie crossovers. Not that I have played the video game, but it kept me entertained for what it is. The action scenes are very sharp and snazzy, just like Agent 47’s Italian wool suit. The car chase sequence is nearly on par with bigger, more expensive films like Mission Impossible.
The fight montages are crisp and clear, you can see what is happening. However, the acting is bad, noticeably bad in fact, especially from Quinto, from whom I expected more.
TAYLOR: I expected nothing from the performers, at least nothing special. I was much more impressed by the sheer effortlessness with which Rupert Friend dispatched people.
Friend, by the way, appears in some smaller films, Starred Up and the Zero Theorem, and did a recurring spot on the TV series Homeland. He might be amazing, but Hitman: Agent 47 is probably not the best vehicle for his talents. Although, he did make killing look easy.
HOWE: It has come out at a tough time, competing with MI: Rouge Nation and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Having said that, if you’re going to see it, you had better take your best friend out of your head and plop it in the seat next to you, because you won’t be needing it for Hitman: Agent 47.
All you need is 90 minutes to kill and a big bag of popcorn.
Taylor gives it 2.5 broken ribs out of 5.
Howe gives it 3 really confusing maps out of 5.
