Today’s quick review: The Gunman. Eight years after killing a politician in the Congo, Jim Terrier (Sean Penn) has given up his life as an assassin in favor of honest work for an aid organization. But his fresh start is interrupted when he is targeted for death in connection with the Congo job. Fleeing to Europe, Jim pays a visit to Felix (Javier Bardem), an old associate and one of the only people who can find out who wants Jim dead.
The Gunman is an action thriller with a realistic tone. Anchored in the tumultuous situation in the Congo, The Gunman follows ex-assassin Jim Terrier as he struggles to escape the ghosts of his past. The movie features passable writing, solid action, and a capable cast that includes Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, and Idris Elba. However, slow pacing and a dour mood keep it from working well as a pure action film.
The Gunman takes a while to get going. The first half of the movie is just build-up, establishing who Jim is and who his allies are. Unfortunately, the mystery of who wants Jim dead is not that strong of a hook, and The Gunman must rely on its ill-established characters to keep the viewer watching. The performances are fine, but not even Jim is all that likable, and many of the points the movie lingers on prove unimportant in the end.
The second half of the movie is more interesting, as Jim is thrust into a series of conflicts with the men chasing him. The action here manages to be tense, crafty, and realistic, if not exceptional by action movie standards. The plot clears up some as Jim figures out who wants him dead and why, but neither the reveal nor the resolution are enough to justify the gratuitous amount of setup.
Watch The Gunman when you are in the mood for a thriller with decent execution hurt by a few crippling flaws. The Gunman has the setup of a cerebral political thriller and the payoff of a run-of-the-mill action thriller. While individual components, such as the action and acting, are fine, the whole package together is merely adequate. Skip it if you are looking for a more rewarding movie.
5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent late-game action held back by a weak plot and poor pacing.