American Assassin
I'm certain I'm not the only one who thought that Dylan O'Brien was a little too young to play the title character in Vince Flynn's "American Assassin" series. But, I'm also certain I won't be the only one who was ever so happy to be proven wrong.
"American Assassin" (2017) directed by Michael Cuesta, is a spy thriller based on a series of books written by the late author Vince Flynn. After his girlfriend is killed by terrorists, "Mitch Rapp" (Dylan O'Brien) will stop at nothing to avenge her death and soon becomes a part of the counterterrorism effort under ex-navy SEAL Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton).
As I mentioned before, I wasn't sure how Dylan O'Brien would fit the image of counterterrorism agent Rapp. He looks (and actually is) pretty young. 26 is about the age you'd expect someone to headline a YA franchise (which he actually does). But O'Brien throws himself into the role. He captures the part of a gifted, albeit unhinged, individual working toward a singular goal curiously well.
And Michael Keaton. I don't know what I expected from him going into the theatre, but it certainly wasn't what I got. And that's a good thing. It was rumored that Bruce Willis was up for the role of Stan Hurley, but I'm grateful it went to Keaton. Had Willis gotten the part, it would have been another Die Hard. Keaton brings a level of seriousness to the film, lending it a little more credibility. Plus, if you agree with me that O'Brien can play unhinged, man, wait until you see Keaton.
Right up to par with the acting is the story. I didn't realize it until I watched "Assassin," but I've watched a lot of spy movies. Like, A LOT. After a while, you start to notice certain patterns, certain subjects and plot points, that almost inevitably appear. For instance, there's always the tragic backstory whereby our hero gets their motivation, there's the struggle between mentor and mentee (yes, that's a legit word), the Bond girl (if it's not already, this should be the term for any love interest in any spy movie), and usually a person from someone's past coming back to haunt them (except they're evil this time around).
The obvious choice to work through all these plot points, the common choice, is to reserve entire sections of the script for character dialogue about whatever aforementioned issues they're dealing with. This way they can still have pretty incredible action scenes, but point to whatever unbearable heart-to-heart talks they made their characters sit through as proof of depth.
It chooses to tell the story through the action as opposed to in addition to. And, despite how dark the tale is, it's quite a breath of fresh air for a spy film.
I won't lie to you; "American Assassin" deals with all of these ideas. However, it works through them in an entirely different way. The film is incredibly fast-paced, barely pausing for even the calmer moments, and I think this is one of its greatest strengths. It chooses to tell the story through the action as opposed to in addition to. And, despite how dark the tale is, it's quite a breath of fresh air for a spy film.
I like to imagine the reason "American Assassin" was so good was because the film started with an already well-developed story from Vince Flynn's writing. Book-to-movie productions can be tricky endeavors, not only because you have passionate readers calling you out, but also because, while the lines may already be there, the "spirit" of a story is another beast entirely.
So, kudos to the "American Assassin" crew. Not only did they earn my $5 ticket, but also my brother's approval (a worthy critic who's read the books and found the adaption pretty darn solid).
*Oh, and if you're wondering if I had any qualms about the film, I must confess, there is only one: I'm not particularly a fan of the CGI...