2oceansvibe News | South African and international news

Sponsored by RSAWeb rss
2ov Radio
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Seth Rotherham
  • Lifestyle & Hospitality
  • Café du Cap
  • Cabine du Cap
  • Media Packs / Advertising
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Anonymous Tips
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
Seth Rotherham
  • SPL!NG Movie Review: American Assassin

    27 Sep 2017 by SPLING in Entertainment, Movie Reviews, Movies, Trailers
    Related Posts
    • SPL!NG Movie Review: The Founder
    • SPL!NG Movie Review: Spotlight
    • Oh Yes – The True Detective Season 2 Trailer Is Here [Video]
    • Blind! Footage Shows Michael Keaton Putting Away Speech As Eddie’s Name Gets Called Out [Video]
    • SPL!NG Movie Review: Birdman

    American Assassin – it’s one of those generic, star-spangled movie titles that attracts and repels in equal measure… probably as much as any nationality inspired movie title would. American Made, American Pie, American Beauty, American Psycho, American History X, American Hustle, American Sniper, American Honey, American Gangster, American Ultra, American Pastoral, American Gigolo, American Ninja… the list goes on. The love/hate affair with the coin-flipping and molten concept of “American” continues to fascinate audiences. With Trump as “President of the World”, the quintessential business tycoon turned ringmaster President has added fuel to the fire, sparking vitriol around his tactless tweets, bullish decisions and loose canon approach to foreign politics.

    The “American” film brand has had its fair share of hits and misses, but as you’d expect from the title American Assassin it’s mostly on target. While the film would’ve been much more thought-provoking and introspective under the direction of Atom Egoyan, it’s Michael Cuesta at the helm. Having directed Kill the Messenger and Homeland, he was well-suited and gives a good idea of what to expect in terms of the look, feel, temperament and territory of American Assassin. We’re supplanted in the world’s current “war on terror” mentality as hot-head Mitch Rapp is recruited as a counter-terrorism agent. Struggling to come to terms with a tragic incident, he channels his special abilities and years of preparation into getting bad guys for the good guys.

    American Assassin is a sleek, tense and well-paced espionage action thriller with earnest performances. Young Dylan O’Brien leads the charge as Rapp under the tutelage of special ops veteran Michael Keaton, effectively playing a Gabriel to Lucifer, played by Taylor Kitsch. He’s young, somewhat enigmatic and lithe, making a fresh change from the typical wrestler-ready hero that would drive this espionage thriller with old school ’80s style actioner tendencies. Keaton is the drill sergeant turned boxing coach, giving Rapp the full boot camp experience with a twinkle in his eye. Even though he’s playing a role built for the modern day Bruce Willis, his sheer star presence adds weight to the production much like the casting of the brilliant David Suchet. Then, while at times difficult to distinguish, Kitsch gets his Christian Slater stripes as a callous, relentless, equal-opposite villain.

    American Assassin

    “I’m even harder to kill than Bruce Willis.”

    The film follows in the tradition of Homeland and numerous counter-terrorism thrillers, making it a little indistinct in terms of plotting, leaning on sketchy characters, a fairly generic story with an emphasis on style over substance. To put it plainly, it’s dumb fun… pumping things up with flashy action sequences and grounding itself with sincere performances and a timely counter-terrorism undercurrent. O’Brien is perfectly cast in this respect, keeping in the shadows just enough for us to interpret his thin characterisation as mystique and delivering the cantankerous yet impressionable character with conviction. It’s easy to skim over the mission details when the lead trio are ramping things up with bravado.

    While tending towards the formula of old school master-apprentice action thrillers of the ’80s, Cuesta’s managed to craft an entertaining, exciting mix of espionage and black ops thrills. It’s lightweight, but packs a punch and keeps things upbeat yet tense with a strong follow-through that separates it from other films in its subgenre. While it may not engage your mind beyond the next mouthful of popcorn, it’s an enthralling and enjoyable film, which is made even better by the quality of its cast.

    The bottom line: Electrifying

    Release date: Now showing
    Book Tickets at Ster-Kinekor

    Book Tickets at Nu Metro
    Catch more movie reviews at SPL!NG

    • ← This VICE Doccie Will Help You Understand The Furry Subculture [Video]
    • Here’s George Clooney’s Prayer He Wrote For America On The Daily Beast →
    • Tweet
    • Tags:
    • american assassin
    • dylan o'brien
    • Michael Keaton
    • taylor kitsch

    Latest News

    • End Of The Road For Musica

      [imagesource: V&A Waterfront] Remember when you used to go to a physical store when...

    • Let’s See Where The Doomsday Clock Is Currently Sitting [Video]

      [imagesource: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists] The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ...

    • Wait – Pamela Anderson Married Her Bodyguard? Check Out The New Hubby

      [imagesource: Shutterstock] It's that time of the year again when Pamela Anderson gets ...

    • Steinhoff’s Share Price Just Had A Nice Bump

      [imagesource: Dwayne Senior / Bloomberg] If Steinhoff can bounce back from what can be ...

    • Why It’s Worth Following A Weight Loss Plan Designed By Experts

      [imagesource:here] Another year, another list of New Year's resolutions that you're slo...


    • 2oceansvibe Partners

    • CONTACT US
    • GOT A HOT STORY?
    • 2oceansvibe Radio
    • 2oceansvibe Media
    • Media Pack
    • Seth Rotherham
    • Café du Cap
    • Cabine du Cap
    • Cape Town City Accommodation
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Business
    • Media
    • Entertainment
    • Tech/Sci
    • World
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Sport
    • Politics
  • Follow

    2oceansvibe.com is part of the 2oceansVibe Media Group

    DMMA Logo