Tech News on G4'Hitman' movie misses the markMarch 10, 2008By John Powell - G4 Canada |
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Coming to DVD this Tuesday, 'Hitman' is not a total waste of time but
it is really nothing special either. As fans of the video game series In the film, a botched killing of the Russian president has 47 being tailed by not only the FSB but Interpol as well. As the web of political intrigue closes around Agent 47, he encounters other hitman contracted to kill him and a curious woman named Nika who just might hold the key to the entire mystery.
Where 'Hitman' stumbles hard is in the casting. Though he tries his darnest, Timothy Olyphant ('Deadwood', ''Live Free and Die Hard') doesn't have the cold, emotionless, remorseless traits that make Agent 47 so deadly as a hired killer. Olyphant generates empathy at times because of his look and mannerisms. Jason Statham ('The Transporter') would have been a far better choice as he has the ability to be more detached. Olyphant has the look but not the calculating conduct. It takes more than a suit, a red tie and a gun in each hand to play Agent 47. Although we can overlook Olyphant's flaws, we cannot ignore the fact that the producers did not embrace the violent, poetic and artistic stylings of the game. Instead of John Woo we get Allen Smithee and despite brief flashes of inspiration, 'Hitman' is nothing more than your standard action film fare when it could have been so much more in the right hands. Gone is all the style. Gone is all the character and charm.
Hitman (2007) Rating: 5 / 10
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Agent 47 could have been the next Jason Bourne or 007, if the
producers of the slap dash 'Hitman' feature film had only taken the
time to suitably develop the character. They really have no excuse
either. It is not like they were starting from scratch. Agent 47 and
the 'Hitman' series by Eidos Interactive is one of the most
established and exceptional video game franchises ever made. So, when
it came to material to draw upon and a solid back-story to work with,
the producers had it all at their fingertips but for some reason they
turned a blind eye to it all.
In an intriguing twist, the film suggests that Agent 47, a clone, has
more emotional depth than he lets on. The whole "still waters run
deep" scenario. For those who are familiar with the character through
the video games, the revelation ruins much of what makes Agent 47
such a great anti-hero in the first place. The suggestion that he
isn't fighting his true nature of being all "circuitry and wires"
when it comes to his emotional state of being flies in the face of
the Agent 47 mythos that have been revealed piece by piece in the
video game series.
In the end, fans of the game will not know any more about the silent
assassin than they did before and fleshing out the "human side" of
the steely-eyed killer is not that endearing. What makes Agent 47 so
cool is that he is a man of little emotion and few words. His actions
speak for themselves. The 'Hitman' story and character deserved a
more gritty and stylistic treatment. Lost is much of the intrigue,
the moral anguish and contradictory nature of the Agent 47 character.
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G4 Canada (formerly TechTV Canada) launched in September 2001. G4 is the one and only television station that is plugged into every dimension of games, gear, gadgets and gigabytes. Owned Rogers Media Inc., the channel airs more than 24 original series. G4 is available on digital cable and satellite. For more information, see www.g4tv.ca.