American Assassin

A film about two totally different halves. While the first has balls and promises an interesting (anti)terrorist ride like Kingdom, reaching a climax in the first minutes with an impressive shootout on the beach, the second one is just a bland spy thriller full of clichés we’ve seen a thousand times. The cast is likeable, and so is the absence of some of the established trends of the genre. So there is no secondary love story between the main character and the agent and the bomb does go off at the end. This was already evident in the trailer and it's a fresh and pleasant change. However, there are still plenty of those classic ancillary tweaks and screenwriting shortcuts that kill the possibility of this being an above-par experience. And yet, Kitsch is fine and the action itself is very decent. A must-see for fans, but that’s it. (26.11.2017)

Another useless young-Jack-Ryan-wanna-be clone longing for Bourne’s success. The trailer lied; the hunt for jihadist terrorists only happens in the first fifteen minutes, dominated by a really powerful beach scene. The rest of the film is about the routine tracking of nuclear bomb makers, and all the clichés, lack of coherence and uninteresting characters will make you yawn all the way through it. What did such famous producers expect from such a weak screenplay? The lead actor’s performance was average (his adversary, Taylor Kitsch, was better) and the only thing Michael Keaton remembers from this movie is how much he got paid for it. (13.09.2017)

The opening on the beach was chilling; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a realistic portrayal of a terrorist attack in films. I thought, "Yes, this film has great potential." I don’t want to say that it then faltered—quite the opposite—but I did expect a different progression. The story here is the same old revenge plot due to the loss of a loved one, but I’ve come to terms with that. And why did they have to throw in a nuclear bomb again? I just can’t understand that. On the action front, though, there are a few solid moments that can’t be criticized under any circumstances, as it would be unfair to the film. However, I felt that in some sequences, the sound mix seemed muffled, which is puzzling. On the other hand, the fights and shootouts are above average for the genre. The cast is also of high quality, and it was clear that the lead actor didn’t skimp on preparation for his role, and Kitsch surprised in his villain role. Only Keaton, as the seasoned veteran, was underutilized. The ending is open, so we’ll see if a sequel comes (there are plenty of books). It falls slightly behind the recent 24 Hours to Live and earns a better three stars and 70%. (28.11.2017)

I loved the trailer, but I'm not too excited about the film. While it's a subject that I almost always enjoy, something didn't sit right with me here. The opening on the beach or the fight in the hotel were decent and that's about it. I didn’t like the sound, how many times you couldn't hear the bang, even two cars crashing made almost no sound, which was very strange. The R-rating could have been exploited more and young Dylan O'Brien might be more suited a role like this five years from now. Fine for one viewing, but rather average in terms of action. I liked Ethan Hawke's 24 Hours to Live better. 60%. (23.11.2017)

The only thing I liked about the film was its great action. The story itself was rather far-fetched. The main character was really funny and, the way I see it, it was just about making me believe that Big Brother can do anything he puts his mind to. The biggest problem for me was that I just didn’t buy that the CIA would make a top agent out of an unmanageable skinny kid with PTSD, and that this muscleless expert could beat with his bare hands a guy at least forty pounds heavier (and trained), etc. I also really liked the maneuver of the 6th Fleet, which bravely turned their sides to the giant wave. After all, an American ship will endure anything. It was just as dumb as Admiral Halsey thinking he could win against a typhoon. (05.03.2018)