American Assassin

Year: 2017
Director: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Taylor Kitsch, Shiva Negar, Scott Adkins


Plot: A young man hell bent on taking revenge against terrorists is recruited by the CIA to join their special team of elite killers.


Review: The success of the Bourne films have generated a massive number of similar copycat films over the last decade. Some films like Salt and Safe House were successful, while others like Hitman: Agent 47, The Expatriate, The November Man and Survivor were only so-so. Now we can add one more to the genre.

Based on one of the Mitch Rapp novels by the late Vince Flynn, American Assassin tells the story of Rapp, whose girlfriend is killed by a terrorist attack in Spain. Fueled by vengeance, Rapp trains himself to become a killer all on his own and successfully infiltrates the terrorist cell responsible. CIA deputy director of counter intelligence Irene Kennedy sees potential in him and recruits him to join Orion, a special black ops team under the tutelage of former Navy SEAL Stan Hurley, a no-nonsense instructor. Rapp turns out to be an efficient spy despite having problems taking orders from people. When the CIA discovers a former student of Hurley's attempting to make a nuclear bomb, Hurley and Rapp are sent to handle the problem.

The storyline here is rather similar to Skyfall, where a spy has gone rogue and wants to get even with his handler, though this particular plot isn't fully explored. The idea of two spies, in this case Rapp and Ghost, his predecessor, being pitted against one another by people who have or is pulling their strings, and having so much in common, would have been interesting to watch. But director Michael Cuesta (Kill The Messenger) spends most of the film focusing on Rapp's training and his drive for vengeance or getting things done his way. Ghost's intentions here only seem to be getting even with Hurley, which is fine, but makes him a less cerebral antagonist.

As far as the action sequences go, Cuesta doesn't hold back on the violence, just the way I like it. The opening terrorist attack was a sight to behold, and there are some well choreographed fights and a decent torture sequence, so overall Cuesta got it right.

Dylan O'Brien is splendid as Rapp, looking very different from playing Thomas in The Maze Runner films. Here, he's intense and mostly angry, but still easy to root for. Michael Keaton scores the most points here as Hurley, being convincing enough as the tough spy trainer with experience during the Cold War. Sanaa Lathan's Irene Kennedy is mostly a suit-wearing bureaucrat here, but she makes it work, while newcomer Shiva Negar does alright as a Turkish agent working with Rapp. As for Taylor Kitsch, he is believable enough as Ghost, the man who has an axe to grind with his superiors, but doesn't quite get enough time to show what he's really capable of, which is a pity. Initially I thought his acting would be a letdown, but he kinda impressed me. I am disappointed though, that B-movie action star Scott Adkins is reduced to playing an unlucky second fiddle agent, since he's supposed to be a badass.

In essence, American Assassin doesn't quite break new ground on the spy genre. If you've seen the Bourne films already and seeking something innovative, you won't find it here. Personally though, I found it entertaining. I've learnt that some movies need not be original to entertain the audience, that one can go see an action movie and enjoy it for what it is, and American Assassin is that kind of film. (7/10)