Today’s quick review: American Assassin. After his fiance is murdered by terrorists, Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) trains himself to become a killer so he can get revenge on the men responsible. Seeing Rapp’s potential, CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) recruits him for Orion, a secret team led by Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). Soon, Rapp is sent on his first mission: recovering stolen plutonium before it can be turned into a bomb.
American Assassin is an action thriller based on the novel by Vince Flynn. Dylan O’Brien stars as Mitch Rapp, a self-made warrior who gains new purpose when he joins Stan Hurley’s team of elite operatives. American Assassin is a tightly paced thriller with a high-stakes plot and a hefty dose of brutal action. The movie sticks to the basics of the genre—covert ops, gun fights, and nuclear weapons—but its clean execution makes it well worth a watch.
The lynchpin of the movie is Rapp himself. Unlike other action heroes, Rapp has a clear set of flaws that hold him back as an operative. He has the skills and the drive to become one of the best, but his seeting anger over his fiance’s death keeps him from thinking clearly. American Assassin does a good job of balancing his strengths with his weaknesses, resulting in a bold protagonist capable of making big moves and big mistakes.
American Assassin will be just what action fans are looking for. The movie does not try to innovate in any significant way. Instead, it makes a series of safe bets on its characters, its plot, and its action that add up to an engrossing thriller. Viewers who enjoy the typical action thriller formula will find American Assassin to be an unusually sharp take on it. Those hoping for something with a little more depth or style should look elsewhere.
For a less action-heavy thriller about a new recruit to the CIA, check out The Recruit. For a superhero crime drama about a man remaking himself into a vigilante, try Batman Begins. For a more nuanced drama about infiltrating a terrorist cell, try Traitor.
6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid execution.