This is another of those computer game / comic book movie adaptations, though not one I'd heard of particularly - unlike your Spider-man's and your Resident Evils.

We meet our "hero", also known as Agent 47, as he prepares to take out his next hit. A high profile target like the president of Russia requires a highly accurate and highly public assassination. But, after the shot that definitely should have killed him somehow misses the spot, both the assassin and the Interpol officer following his actions suspect a rat.

The rest of the film follows, our very well trained and well restrained agent as he investigates the mystery, but all may not be as it seems.

This was not a name dropping blockbuster, as you might have expected it to be. None of the lead roles were played by "celebrities" - in the modern sense of the word. The only actor that was familiar to me was the president's brother, that Scotish guy from lost, and I don't even know his name. Thankfully it didn't need it, since in terms of acting they all played their roles credibly.

The trailor made a lot of the hit-man's religion, playing heavily on the "a necessary evil" angle and focussing on the "raised by a secret order of the church". So I went in expecting some strange mix of The Da Vinci Code and Constantine, thankfully though it barely even mentioned it. The only references to it were in brief flashes and in one key plot device.

In the same way, it was far more coherent in terms of plot and credibility than I had expected. All in all I was happily surprised. This is a 15 for a reason though, mainly due to a few topless scenes, blood splatter and a few choice words - but mainly the topless thing.

Hardly a match for this year's kings of the Action circuit Die Hard 4 and The Bourne Ultimatum, though.

see also:
Die Hard 4.0, Limitless, Taken, The Sum of all fears

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photo © 20th Century Fox.