Hitman (2007)

Premise: An elite assassin is hired to kill the Russian President while being trailed by Interpol agents.

Stars: Timothy Olyphant * Olga Kurylenko * Dougray Scott * Ulrich Thomsen

Story: Agent 47 (Olyphant) is an elite assassin that has been operating for years. Whittier (Scott) is an Interpol agent that has been tracking him and is getting close to catching his man. 47 is hired to kill Russian President Belicoff (Thomsen) as he's making things difficult for 47's bosses. When the assassination is successful, a double of Belicoff appears, claiming the assassination a failure. Belicoff's moll, Nika (Kurylenko), is set up to help bring Agent 47 down.

47 kidnaps Nika, along the way killing men assigned to kill her and keep her quiet. The pair bond as 47 follows a trail of leads to Belicoff and the FSB agent who is working to control Russia. Whittier is on his trail all the way, repeatedly coming close to capturing 47, but events often conspire to prevent the arrest.

Review: While the light banter between Kurylenko and Olyphant is pleasing and the action is distracting eye-candy, the plot gets quickly muddled. How many doubles of Belicoff are there? Was the real Belicoff killed and the double is really the evil one? The gun battle with Belicoff's brother is distracting even as it overpowers the senses.

Parts of the film are worth seeing. The fight cinematography is eye-catching. Kurylenko never fails to sparkle. Olyphant's subdued wit is refreshing even as he reminds one of his trademark smart-aleckness (Gone in 60 Seconds, Go, Live Free or Die Hard).

But there are drawbacks. Dougray Scott. Agent 47's past - his training and enforced self-discipline - provides a conflict with Nika's flirtatiousness but provide no emotional payoff. Is he a victim of his training or is he at peace with it? The assassination attempt in the church is reminiscent of the Russian theater hostage crisis, but there is a lack of follow-through in the performance.

The film itself offers no resolution - will Whittier stay away after he's been given a plausible excuse to do so? Is 47 going to be Nika's guardian for the rest of her life? Did he turn his back on all of his support (the agency that manages him for assignments) - and if so, what is his support now? As he's killed several fellow agents, are they hunting him now?

The audience is left with a feeling similar to a few too many beers - a buzz which is enjoyable, but unfilling and fleeting.

Overall: Mediocre

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