The Hitman franchise has been one of the most successful video game franchises in the industry recently. The story was great, and the trilogy was really enjoyable to play. So when the decision was made to turn the game into a film, I like many others was very excited about the prospect of what this film could be but still a bit frightened by the notion of video game inspired movies (Mortal Kombat's utter failure anyone?)
When the movie trailer was released it was quite an uplifting piece of work. Great cut scenes of death, destruction and beautiful women set to some gorgeous classical music.
It really was too bad though, that the actual movie did not live up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad, but it definitely could've been much better.
The first problem with this movie was the acting. I wasn't sure what to expect when they didn't cast any big names for the main role of Agent 47. When it was announced it was to be Timothy Olyphant I was pretty surprised. He really hadn't made too big of a name for himself but I enjoyed the previous work he did His roles as Seth Bullock on Deadwood and his appearance in Live Free or Die Hard as the ominous villain seemed very well thought out.
It was really odd how this film showcased Olyphant's talent on one hand and his lack of experience in a leading role on the other. There were times when 47 was portrayed perfectly, as a cold-hearted, well trained assassin who got the job done no matter how difficult and just wanted to find out the truth about himself. A perfect example of this was in the basement of the train station, where 47 was assaulted by another Hitman and he ruthlessly took him to the ground. He then shot the other Hitman in the arm to get answers and then nonchalantly capped him in the shoulder blade for good measure as he walked out the door while uttering one of the most skillfully delivered lines in the movie “Stay here.”
Overall Olyphant did a nice job in his role. It seemed he'd studied 47's various nuances and modeled them to a T. From the way Olyphant walked, to the way his cold, calculating brain worked.
However, when it really came to substance in the movie it seemed that most of the acting fell flat. The dialogue between the main two characters seemed like it had good potential but came off as dry, and a bit rehearsed.
This brings me to my next point: the story continuity. There were so many plot holes it was really a bit confusing. I won't ruin it for those of you who haven't seen it but certain details and connections weren't even mentioned and it left me feeling incomplete.
So in a nutshell I give Hitman one thumb up. It had some great action sequences, but the story was pretty broken up and unconnected and the acting was mediocre in most scenes. It's a movie that most action or game junkies should see but just wait till it comes out on DVD, because at times it seems like the story only acts as a vague bridge between 47's next rampage and Nika Boronina's lack of clothing.
