Violence abounds in American Assassin, a revenge flick which pits the CIA against the forces that instigate terror against the west.
We are introduced to Mitch Rapp, a one-of-a-kind American assassin, who possesses savage skills and a ferocious drive for payback. This is the story of a 21st century counter-terrorist spymaster-in-the-making who, in a world of new rules, breaks all the old molds. But much as we’re in the midst of a new era of bold individualists, this is also a story of far-flung global agents discovering what truly matters: working together for the greater good. When Rapp’s promising future is torn apart by a shocking burst of violence, it ignites his career as a clandestine warrior on the frontlines in this Age of Terror. Now he must discover how to turn his blistering rage into fuel for hunting those who would destroy others’ dreams – in a world where clarity isn’t easy to come by.
American Assassin traces Rapp’s origins from heartbroken fiancé to cunning renegade, off-the-charts CIA trainee and his first must-not-fail mission on the trail of 15 kilos of stolen plutonium. American Assassin is based upon a book series by the late Vince Flynn. What Tom Clancy was to the 1980s espionage thriller – plying the raw material of the Cold War and the darkest recesses of American spy operations to craft fiercely entertaining stories – Flynn became to a new millennia.
As the world shifted into a dizzying, post-9/11 maze of menaces that were nearly impossible to see coming, Flynn shifted the spy novel with it. He steered away from an era of cool, East-West-divide techno-thrillers and into a brave new world of spontaneous, red-hot threats that can come from anywhere. He saw early on that the global rise of terrorism against civilians meant the CIA would need a fresh kind of recruit.
With terrorists emerging from diverse backgrounds and regions, intelligence agencies would put a new premium on spies capable of climbing inside the pitch-black minds of those motivated not so much by political aims as to light up the world with their fury. That’s why he created the Rapp series, focused on the unrelenting skills of one man – who uses his anger, idealism, pride and deeply personal venom to respond in kind to the vengeful, morally rootless threats that increasingly define these times.
In 1999, Flynn introduced Mitch Rapp … and the book was an instant hit. It set off a rapid-fire series encompassing 13 novels written by Flynn – and subsequently by Kyle Mills, after Flynn’s untimely death (he died of prostate cancer in 2013 at the age of 46). In 2010, Flynn responded to fans’ calls to hit the rewind button – and at last he gave readers the story they wanted: Rapp’s origins, exploring how a lonely, emotionally-wounded kid fresh out of college became every terrorist’s worst nightmare.
That was American Assassin, now turned into a movie directed by Michael Cuesta (Homeland). It is a well-worn pat being trodden here – a loner with a chip on his shoulders trying to save the world on his own. The opening beach scenes, in which gunmen open fire on helpless holidaymakers, are chilling – awfully confronting – especially given the way the world is at present.
Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) carries himself well, displaying an intensity of purpose. Michael Keaton (Birdman) readily straddles the good cop/bad cop persona. I suspect Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) relished the freedom associated with turning to the dark side.
As far as I am concerned, notwithstanding the exotic locales, American Assassin is pretty much stock standard stuff, save for a doomsday scenario near the end, which provided a neat – if alarming – twist. There are elements of tension throughout as we wait for the forces of evil to get their comeuppance, but, by and large, it is one set piece after another. I dare say it will still win a decent audience, especially video gamers to whom violence is water off a duck’s back.
Rated MA, American Assassin scores a 6 out of 10.
Director: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Taylor Kitsch
Release Date: 14 September 2017
Rating: MA 15+
Alex First
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David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television