Spy thriller American Assassin is low budget, full of clichés and a complete wreck
There is a wonderful scene where Michael Keaton searches for a target looking at his Nuclear Physicist Watchlist on his iPad - come on!
IF you are going to take on the Bourne/Bond spy thriller you better have a decent script or a massive budget.
If you don’t, then sadly, as with Stratton from the other week and here with American Assassin, you end up like a quick pint after work – the best will in the world, but still ending up a complete wreck.
The American Assassin in question, Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien), was once just a regular bloke.
Then he got tangled up in a terrorist attack which changed his life.
To seek revenge on those responsible, he becomes a CIA black-ops soldier (of course he does), taken under the wing of Michael Keaton, the leader.
There is then a good hour and a half of some plutonium getting nicked and some awful, awful lines.
Clichés such as, “His charts are off the scale!!” and, “He’s too damn risky!!” are bandied about every bit as proudly as awful lines including: “He dresses like a deer, kills like a lion.”
Er, what?
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This would be awarded one solitary star at best had it not been for the wonderful scene where Keaton and his crew of elite TOP SECRET soldiers are sat in the middle of an outdoor café in Rome on a TOP SECRET stakeout, looking for a nuclear physicist.
To identify their target, Keaton had an iPad on the table with the title (in huge letters) “NUCLEAR PHYSICIST WATCHLIST”. Mate, come on.
You are going to get through a lot of crap before you even consider this a valuable use of your time.
American Assassin (18) 111 mins
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
IF you don't fancy subjecting your kids to mother! (Please whatever you do, don't!) then please consider 'The Jungle Bunch' - also out this week.
A much more appropriate jaunt for the littluns!