Film Bites

Agent 47(Olyphant) is an assassin for hire. Working under the direction of an owner so powerful it is simply referred to as ‘The Organization,’ he is the best of the best. Trained from childhood to be a ruthless killer, 47 is The Organization’s ultimate weapon. Unknown to 47, his latest job might be his last. He is contracted to kill Mikhail Belicoff(Thomsen) the President of Russia. The only problem is, Belicoff knows of his pending assassination and substitutes a double for his appearances.

After killing the double, and failing to kill the real Belicoff, 47 is public enemy number one. Hunted by Interpol agents and Russian FSB agents, 47 must unravel the mystery behind his failed job and the connection between his intended target and the beautiful Nika Boronina(Kurylenko).

When I first heard Hitman was coming out as a film-adaptation of the hit video game, I was expecting an experience similar to other games-to-movies such as Resident Evil(mediocre adaptation) or Doom(horrible adaptation). In preparation, I bought the Hitman games and played them through. The sheer difficulty and time-intensiveness of the Hitman games is the subject of another review, but suffice it to say, to play as Agent 47 you must be methodical.

Thankfully, the movie really delivered a superb interpretation of the game. Olyphant was perfect for the role, lending a cool exterior with a troubled personality buried deep by years of obedience. He created a character who isn’t so much a man but a creation wanting to be a man. In addition, the action sequences brought back memories of levels in the games. Stashing a weapon in a toilet tank is taken directly from the video game.

Of course, no modern film would be complete without a love interest, but the film was not poisoned by making Agent 47 turn into some sappy love-struck puppy near the end of the film. Kurylenko was absolutely stunning in her role, and would have had me in an instant, but true to character, Agent 47 maintained his ruthless killer instincts and didn’t fall into a ill-placed sex scene. The film ends with a cliffhanger, but this will be one show that deserves a sequel; as long as it maintains the current level of excellence. Hitman set the bar high for future films based on games.