Hitman: Agent 47 (12/29/2015)

Rated R for sequences of strong violence, and some language.

Starring Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware

Directed by Aleksander Bach

Unfortunately this Hitman misses the mark.

Hitman: Agent 47 centers on an elite assassin who was genetically engineered from conception to be the perfect killing machine, and is known only by the last two digits on the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck. He is the culmination of decades of research – and forty-six earlier Agent clones — endowing him with unprecedented strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. His latest target is a mega-corporation that plans to unlock the secret of Agent 47’s past to create an army of killers whose powers surpass even his own. Teaming up with a young woman who may hold the secret to overcoming their powerful and clandestine enemies, 47 confronts stunning revelations about his own origins and squares off in an epic battle with his deadliest foe.

I think it’s safe to say that the world wasn’t crying out for a Hitman movie reboot. 2007’s Hitman was a pretty by-the-numbers action flick – a ton of bullets, explosions and car chases with a ridiculously loud sound track that doesn’t quit. Hitman: Agent 47 is just more of the same.

First-time director Aleksander Bach’s reboot begins with the classic voiceover and graphics combo that explains the origin of the film’s assassin and plot. That wasn’t a bad way to start the film, but unfortunately the storytelling doesn’t develop a great deal past that. There are a few moments of where the action scenes elevate out of the mundane. For example, the scene in the interrogation room is really cool.

Zachary Quinto, is really a disappointment with his lackluster performance and Rupert Friend plays Agent 47 as well as could be expected. I mean the character is known more for the black suit and red tie than for his charisma and charm.

I wish, Agent 47 would have learned from its predecessor’s mistakes. The original Hitman movie was heavily criticized for its poor script and storyline, and the same problems are even more evident this time around – my guess is because screenwriter Skip Woods returned for 47.

I was expecting an enjoyably ridiculous action film, instead, I got a movie that’s impossible to take seriously, but that’s also far too dull to be any fun….its a “Coaster.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex or nudity and even the language is pretty mild. The violence, however, is non-stop, gory and bloody.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. In the one scene Agent 47 says, “we all have the ability to determine who we are by what we do.” What do you think he meant by that?


2. How do our actions determine who we are?

Read James 2:14-17

Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.


3. According to this passage, what two things need to match up?


4. What are you going to do this week to start making your actions match your words?