Hitman: Agent 47: choreographed shootings and assassins without emotions

Since it is a film based on a video game my expectations were not very high. I decided to watch it, because action movies with high rate of murder victims are fun and this, in particular, shows the confrontation between two interesting actors: Rupert Friend, whom I already appreciated in “Homeland”, and Zachary Quinto, who since July 2016 has established himself on a permanent basis as wallpaper of my computer in the role of Spock.

Friend is already accustomed to the role of a killer. In “Homeland”, he was a CIA operative who more than once had been sent to kill some strategic target. His glacial expression, which in “Hitman: Agent 47” is accentuated by his shaved hair and impeccable clothing, gives him the appearance of a programmed, emotionless killer. It is certainly not in this role that you can better appreciate his acting skills, but he is absolutely perfect as agent 47.

Quinto, who finds himself playing the role of John Smith, the antagonist, as the movie itself does not require special acting skills, shows how good he is anyway. His character changes its attitude during the film and Quinto manages to underline this change, giving us the impression that we are facing a new character. He really needs a little effort. His expressiveness is such that a minimal alteration in his facial lines and look give him a completely different image to the viewer.

The clashes between the two are spectacular, often performed with their bare hands, so much that you almost feel pain in their place for the way they are beaten or for their flights. Obviously they come out with just a few scratches. Not to mention the perfectly choreographed shootings. In both cases I found myself repeatedly laughing alone for how entertaining they were.

The film also includes a third main character, Katia van Dees, played by Hannah Ware, but I must admit that (maybe because I am a woman) I barely noticed her presence!

It is clear that we are not talking about a film that expects to appear remotely plausible. It is the transposition of a video game and therefore it is definitely above the lines, but it is also characterised by excellent special effects that confer a considerable realism to the dynamics of the scenes, even the most gory ones, without causing, however, any special form of horror or disgust, just as it does in video games since it remains clear in the mind of the viewer that it’s fiction.

“Hitman: Agent 47“ is the second film in the “Hitman” series. The first, “Hitman“ was released in 2007. But it might not be the last. A clue in this respect is given by the small scene embedded within the end credits, but I don’t tell you more to avoid any spoilers.