Red Sparrow is a 2018 spy-thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence who worked with Jennifer Lawrence (the star here) on a couple of the Hunger Games movies, but this is a very different beast. Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova (in, it has to be said, a not entirely convincing Russian accent), and Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenarts and Charlotte Rampling star as the film's secondary characters. This one is a pretty big departure from what Lawrence has done in the past, although it has to be said that she's making some pretty bold career choices. I'm not the first one to say that, and for a good reason: it's true. After last year's Mother! it appeared as if she was trying purposefully trying to appear in more "mature" films, and believe me, it doesn't get much more mature than Red Sparrow. The film plays out like one of those schlocky exploitation from the seventies, in that there's sexual violence, sex, violence, torture, and all manner o
American Assassin is an action thriller film, and stars Dylan O'Brien as Mitch Rapp, a skilled CIA operative who has trouble following rules, and Michael Keaton as Stan Hurley, a former U.S Navy Seal who's now responsible for training new recruits.
From near enough the moment the film begins, you get a taste of exactly what this film is going to be. Rapp (O'Brien) is at the beach in Ibiza with his girlfriend. He asks her to marry him (of course, she says yes), only to be killed moments later along with scores of other people by a group of Islamic terrorists. He then goes on a revenge mission, infiltrating the cell that was responsible for the murders with the intention of wiping them out - and then all other terrorist cells. However, before having the chance he's intercepted by the CIA and asked by Sanaa Lathan's Deputy Director Irene Kennedy whether he wants to join the force, much to the annoyance of her colleagues.
First of all, I should say that the plot is ridiculous, and not in a good way like Kingsman: The Golden Circle. From beginning to end, every plot point is so unbelievable or ham-fisted that it was pretty difficult not to laugh out loud during the film. At best, the overall story is predictable, and never attempts to do something fresh or interesting with the tried-and-tested formula of an action thriller.
That being said, the cast does its best with the material they've given, and some of the performances are committed, particularly Michael Keaton's and Shiva Negar's, who plays Annika. The rest are fine, but nothing really stands out about them. O'Brien has none of the charm and personality an action hero should have.
I usually strive to leave politics out of my reviews, but in this case, politics are part of what makes the film bad. The villains in this film are sadistic people who enjoy murder, but then so is the protagonist. We're being asked to identify and sympathise with someone who thinks the best way to avenge a murder is with more murder, and it just doesn't work.
American Assassin is a film which rarely makes sense, and is occasionally so cheesy and contrived that it makes it difficult to take what happens on the screen seriously. What could have been a film that makes an interesting comment on the ethics of war and terrorism is sadistic and dull instead.
Regardless of whether you're an action film buff, or if you're relatively new to the genre, there'll be very little to keep you interested in this film.
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