Behind the annoyingly generic title The Killer hides an even more generic action movie that’s still worth watching. There are enough cool action scenes, predictable plot twists, and beautiful locations to make this an enjoyable experience. The charismatic cast did the best they could with these pretty stereotypical characters and actually breathed some life into them. I think you can already guess that the movie The Killer is about a hitman, excuse me, a hitwoman who, after a botched job, has to go on the run. If this plot sounds a bit familiar, it’s not just because it’s awfully stereotypical. Or because just last year we had the opportunity to check out Fincher’s The Killer starring Michael Fassbender.
The Killer 2024 is actually a remake of John Woo’s 1989 movie of the same name. Woo has been trying to remake this highly popular action movie ever since the early nineties. After more than thirty years, he finally did it. Just in case you don’t know who John Woo is, he’s the guy behind such nineties classics as Broken Arrow, Face Off, and Mission Impossible 2. Lately, however, he’s been producing rather mediocre movies featuring okay action scenes but shallow plots and underdeveloped characters. The same goes for the movie we’re talking about today. I mean, it’s not like he’s not trying to develop these characters but it all feels a bit too clumsy and heavyhanded.
At least the story takes place in picturesque Paris full of stunning buildings, busy streets, and that trademark hedonistic charm. Moreover, the stunts and chase scenes feel freaking awesome. And quite dangerous as well. The Killer looks great and I loved the cinematography here. The focus is sharp and the colors delightfully saturated. Add to this excellent camera work and you got yourself one of those eye-candy action movies. Oddly enough, The Killer 2023 also features several scenes in The City of Light, including the opening one. Based on a graphic novel, that’s a much better movie than this one despite some of the same issues.
Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei from Game of Thrones) was a solid lead but the supporting cast is even better. We’ve got one of the most popular French actors today, Omar Sy (Intouchables), and Aussie legend Sam Worthington. It was also nice to see former footballer Eric Cantona (AKA) and Tchéky Karyo, and Saïd Taghmaoui. Nathalie Emmanuel was quite believable as this badass assassin who can both fight and shoot. She played the role pitch-perfect and I especially liked her in leather. I know that for some she will be a deal breaker when it comes to this movie. Oh my Satan, it’s a hot black chick instead of a hulking white guy, woke agenda, woke agenda!
The only issue with that is Chow Yun-fat is not white but I think you get my point. I urge you to move past this issue because this is a freaking action movie. A forgettable action movie that’s going to keep you mildly entertained for almost two hours and that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. The only real issue I have with this movie is pacing. If the running time was around 80-90 minutes, everything would feel much smoother and more kinetic. Instead, we have to slog through relatively boring portions of the movie where almost nothing happens.
Finally, I have to admit that I’m not the biggest John Woo fan. Sure, I liked those three movies I listed at the start but the rest of them just didn’t work for me. This one was decent enough but I just want you to know it’s practically a B action movie from the nineties. If you treat it as such, I’m sure you’ll have a good time.
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Brian Helgeland, Josh Campbell
Cast: Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Éric Cantona, Tchéky Karyo
Fun Facts: Lupita Nyong’o was the original choice for the role of Zee but she eventually decided not to accept the offer.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1121948/
