Just a cruddy and generic action movie that’s one of those “filmed and financed outside the U.S. with an aging action star” wanks that should have went straight to Red Box but because late August/early September has such ridiculously low competition they decided to release it in theaters.
What Works: Pierce Brosnan hasn’t lost much since his 007 days, and I’m sure some will get a kick out of seeing him back in assassin/spy mode here…
What Doesn’t: …And I hope they do, since he’s about the only thing worth watching in this third-tier spy film that has about as much to do with actual intelligence work as Ninja Turtles does about the life of turtles. Brosnan is even paired up with former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko—-an actress I will probably never be able to spell’s name unless I look it up first—-but they don’t generate much heat. Kurylenko has those great, vulnerable dark eyes that always hint at expressing more than they ever get to, but she’s never given much to do. And Brosnan’s adversary/protege in this film is an actor I’ve never seen before and doubt I’ll ever see again.
Still, the biggest problem might be that the “heroes” are actually wrong, and when it’s finally revealed what the “villains” are up to, you can’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t be a lot better if they win. A better movie might have recognized this, but this film is way too black-and-white for a spy film.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Have at least one of the heroes recognize the strong merits of letting the “bad guys” win or changing the ending entirely. It wouldn’t have saved the movie, but it would be the most memorable thing about it.