Plot: What’s it about?
As I try to classify what it is I just saw, I guess I could say it’s an “action/comedy/romance” film that seems to be all over the map. Consider it a James Bond movie, without the nude women in the opening credits, or cool gadgets or the blatant product placement for Omega watches. At any rate, more on that later. As I think about movies that feature hitmen, I naturally gravitate to 1997’s Grosse Point Blank. It’s a dark comedy, but it was done so well. Dare I say that it’s one of the more enjoyable films I’ve seen in the last few decades. And I’ve seen a lot. And I have no idea why so many films take the role of a hitman and turn it into a comedy. Do these people not have a soul? Or do they have the same mindset that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character had in True Lies – “You’ve killed people?” “Yeah, but they were all bad.” Is The Killer’s Game all bad? Let us find out.
We meet hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista), a “nice” hitman (we know that as he only kills bad guys) who’s working a job in Budapest, Hungary. While at the city’s famed opera house, things don’t go so well (and it doesn’t seem particularly well thought-out, either). This leads Joe to have a run-in with the lead dance, Maize (Sofia Boutella). After having some issues of his own, he then gets some less-than-flattering news from his doctor who tells him he’s got a brain tumor and doesn’t have long to live. Joe’s all in on Maize and informs his boss, Zvi (Ben Kingsley) and is thinking about hanging up the gun. However with Joe’s issue, he decides the best thing to do is put a hit out on himself for the price of $2 million and he has his rival assassin, Marianna (Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Pom Klementieff) do the honors. Oh, it’s also a weird thing that Joe killed Marianna’s father. So now everyone with a gun is after Joe, whose issues may or may not be as serious as his doctor once thought.
There’s a little more to this than meets the eye as the film was based on a book that came out in the 90’s and has been trying to make it to the screen for quite some time. This very well could have come out in the early 2000’s. But it didn’t. And the concept might seem novel, but it’s certainly nothing new as it was the main plot point in Bulworth and throw in some elements of John Wick, Bullet Train and the like and you’ll know what to expect. Don’t get me wrong, the film isn’t a total waste of time. There are some pretty amazing action sequences and the band of merry men that try to kill Joe are pretty interesting as well, some lesbian assassins, a Scottish duo with accents so thick they need subtitles and more. I’m all about mindless humor, but this one didn’t hit all the right marks for me. And if there was doubt that Bautista could carry a film on his own, well…I don’t think we’ll be seeing The Killer’s Game 2 anytime soon.
Video: How’s it look?
This is one of those films that you don’t really need to think too deeply on “how was the director intending this shot look?” It’s a veritable hodgepodge of generic action sequences that, admittedly, do look quite nice. All the boxes are checked with this 2.00:1 HEVC 4K transfer giving us amazing color depth and dimension, tack sharp detail and, in essence, an error-free presentation. It’s a new film, so it’s got that going for it as well. What the film lacks plot, it more than makes up for with the visuals.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Rightfully, as good as the movie looks, it sounds just as good thanks to the included Dolby Atmos mix. Guns firing, car tires screeching, you name it – this movie has it. It’s like they said “OK, we need a soundtrack that will fit for an action/adventure movie” and here’s what we’ve got. Vocals are rock solid, with Bautista’s deep, grizzled voice leading the way. Surrounds are super active as well, giving us a nice 360 degree soundstage that’s sure to please.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Meet Joe Flood – Essentially that. We get a look at the character with some insight from director J.J. Perry and actor Dave Bautista.
- The Conductor – A brief take on the film’s director, J.J. Pery.
- World of Assassins – Who can it be? We get a look at the bevy of hitmen and hitwomen featured in the film (hint: don’t get too attached to most of them)!
- Killed It! – We get a take on some of the film’s stunt sequences and ‘action’ scenes.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
This is a tough one. On one hand we do have a film with a lot of notable names, though none of them really stands out for me. It’s like they took all the supporting cast members from other films and threw them in this one. The concept is interesting, though hardly original. But I will say that Lionsgate’s disc looks and sounds amazing. If this movie is your thing, and judging by the film’s box office – it isn’t, knock yourself out.
