Hitman (2007/I)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Xavier Gens

Writer (WGA):

Skip Woods (written by)

Release Date:

21 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 hired by a group known only as 'The Organization' is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Russia and Eastern Europe.

Plot Keywords:

Agent 47 | Interpol | Assassin | Money Falling Through Air | Secret Police

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 12	10:00 PM	MAX
Thur. July 16	4:20 PM	MAX

Cast

Timothy Olyphant	...	Agent 47
Dougray Scott	...	Mike Whittier
Olga Kurylenko	...	Nika Boronina
Robert Knepper	...	Yuri Marklov
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Mikhail Belicoff
Henry Ian Cusick	...	Udre Belicoff
Michael Offei	...	Jenkins
Christian Erickson	...	General Kormarov
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Bwana Ovie
Joe Sheridan	...	Captain Gudnayev
James Faulkner	...	Smith Jamison
Jean-Marc Bellu	...	Hitman #2
Nicky Naude	...	Hitman #3
Abdou Sagna	...	Hitman #4
Ilya Nikitenko	...	Hitman #5

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | Russian | Serbo-Croatian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS

Certification:

Taiwan:R-12 | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:16 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | South Africa:16 | Hungary:18 | Canada:18A (Alberta/Manitoba) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Malaysia:18PL | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | France:Unrated | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | USA:R (certificate #43962) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:R16 | Ireland:18 | Denmark:15 | Netherlands:16 | Austria:16 | Spain:18 | Brazil:16 | Iceland:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

While Dougray Scott often pulls a cigarette out, he never actually manages to light one.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where 47 shoots the two bodyguards in the bathroom, he shoots the fat bodyguard once, though two bullet holes can easily be seen -- one on each shoulder blade.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mike Whittier: Fuck!
Agent 47: It's not there. It's in the kitchen, where you left it.
Mike Whittier: How'd you get in?
Agent 47: You have a nice family. They're fine. Alive. Asleep.

Movie Connections:

References Dip huet seung hung (1989)

Soundtrack:

Swingville Sashay

Hit-man Movie Review

As contradictory as it may sound, finding a good mindless action movie is actually a rather challenging task. Luckily we live in a world where adapting stories and characters from mindless action video games is commonplace, and the creators of the Hit-man movie have gone to great lengths to showcase plenty of the blood, bullets, and babes requisite of a proper translation of the popular assassin adventure.

Raised to be an elite assassin, Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) carries out jobs for a mysterious organization and for a price. When his employer sets him up in a political assassination attempt, the hit-man must uncover the leaders behind the conspiracy while simultaneously protecting a sassy prostitute and being hunted by both the Russian Secret Police and two determined Interpol agents.

Wasting little time with a tedious back story, (and thankfully straying from contrary religious tones as suggested by several trailers), Hit-man jumps right into the plot, full of political conspiracies, secret agency machinations, police investigations, and other reasons to have a gunfight in a crowded location. While those unfamiliar with the source material may question Agent 47's origins, it's actually rather commendable (and practical) to forego such setup and just plunge directly into current events with only the accepted knowledge that our antihero is the most skilled of killers. That being said, the story does convolute itself with excessive setting changes and rehashes of political thrillers mixed with revenge mysteries, but the plot never interferes with that which is most important – the action.

Several unique scenes of bloodshed find their way into Hit-man, and as expected the body count reaches an impressive sum. While not overloaded with meaningless violence, a few sequences stand out as attaining just the right amount of machismo cool, most notably the decimation of a drug lord's domicile and a four-way elite assassin duel apparently inserted to mimic the combat abilities present in the game. At a few points throughout the actioner it becomes evident that everyone involved is trying a little too hard to evoke awe, but some fast hand-held shots and a few guns pointing at the screen later, all is forgiven.

Though Timothy Olyphant is likely not the first actor to enter one's mind on hearing of a Hit-man movie, he accomplishes the surprising feat of impressing upon the audience that he is indeed Agent 47. Plus the sharp black suits with red ties don't hurt. Relative newcomer Olga Kurylenko, who exhibits an appearance resembling a cross between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sophie Marceau, was also a wise choice, especially to tease the viewer with another staple prominent in the Hit-man games.

Hit-man successfully retains the necessary seriousness inherent in the subject matter and while it rarely covers new ground in the action-adventure genre, it also never slips into silly mockery (and it still provides plenty of references to its video game roots). Sacrificing story for style and bloodshed is much appreciated here, and entertainment of this nature is a rare treat over those that try too hard to be that which they are not. Hit-man doesn't indulge itself in such a charade and the result is a fun and sexy romp through the world of professional carnage.

- The Massie Twins