American Assassin

(spoiler free)

Based on the 2010 novel of the same name, written by Vince Flynn, ‘American Assassin’ tells the story of a young CIA black ops agent who, with the help of a Cold War veteran, attempts to prevent the launch of a nuclear weapon. Sounding very similar to ‘Stratton’ which was only released a couple of weeks back could this action movie open to a more positive reception?

The film holds an ’18’ rating for strong sadistic violence and it certainly lives up to this warning. This level of violence does contribute well towards the atmosphere of the film and to the well executed action. This is never more accurate than in the truly terrifying opening sequence which is an uncomfortable reminder of recent world events. It’s a frightening & traumatic introduction to the film but possibly the most engaging moment of the entire running time. Whilst nothing spectacular the rest of the action featured is fairly consistent across the rest of the film always entertaining and packing a punch. It’s a shame though that in the latter sequences when special effects are employed these aren’t as reliable as the solid action which came previously. These effects aren’t awful by any stretch of the imagination but they may take audiences out of the story and slightly detract from the quality of the film’s finale.

The overall story is certainly familiar. It has narrative beats quite similar to both Bourne & Bond, however it is difficult for films like these to be completely original. Nonetheless it’s a serviceable plot, if slightly on the nose in moments. Although I was surprised at how effective much of the human drama was. There are a few instances in which your emotions might catch you off guard! ‘The Maze Runner’ star Dylan O’Brien plays the leading role here. He takes to the action very well and makes his character likeable despite not revealing too much of his personality. This is probably his most impressive film role to date, I’m intrigued to see where his career goes for sure. Alongside O’Brien is the real star power casting, Michael Keaton plays the mentor like figure to O’Brien’s character. He definitely increases the quality of the picture giving a consistently entertaining performance. The rest of the cast are all good too but it’s Keaton & O’Brien who dominate the screen.

So whilst ‘American Assassin’ is a fairly by the numbers action flick it does have ambition in it’s narrative. The performances from the entire cast, but particularly from those in the leading roles, makes for engaging viewing. Complemented by the well paced action sequences the film is easily enjoyable. However, those with high expectations hoping for the next action classic will be disappointed. I can’t write this film off though as it achieves a lot and delivers some powerful moments alongside it’s brutal action.

Rating – 7/10

Question: What is your favourite action film from 2017?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

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