AMERICAN ASSASSIN

Dylan O’Brien     Michael Keaton     Sanaa Lathan     Taylor Kitsch     Shiva Negan

      This is a thriller about international intrigue involving the CIA and black ops, Mossad, the Iranians, the Israelis, and a nuclear device, taking place in Malta, Romania, Warsaw, Tripoli, Istanbul, and Rome—all lovely places to visit, but except for a scene here and there, we won’t see much.  The story is set up with young Mitch Rapp (O’Brien) and his girlfriend (Charlotte Vega) on a beautiful beach on Ibiza enjoying tender moments, when they are attacked by Muslim terrorists.  This affects Mitch so profoundly, he signs up to be a black-ops recruit under the tutelage of Stan Hurley (Keaton).  Mitch already has an oppositional streak, which will sometimes serve him well, and sometimes undermine him.  He is expected to get this under control in his training.

      Mitch’s recruiter, Irene Kennedy (Lathan) regards him as a prodigy, but Rapp is reluctant on the basis of Mitch’s psychological characteristics.  After rigorous training and a practice run or two, Hurley decides Mitch is ready and takes him into the field.  You know this is a movie when Mitch repeatedly goes against orders and still saves the day.  The most critical operation is one where a rogue agent called “Ghost” (Kitsch), a former star pupil of Hurley’s, collaborates with Iranians in Poland to construct a nuclear weapon.  The rest of the story is about the CIA’s attempts first to retrieve stolen plutonium, and then to sabotage efforts to make a bomb.

    The film is fast-paced under the watchful eye of Director Michael Cuesta, whose experience as a producer/director has been primarily in television, but succeeds here too.  Cinematographer Enrique Chediak follows the action and fight sequences so well it’s always clear what is happening—unlike in many action films.  Dylan O’Brien is believable as a fresh-faced green recruit bursting to make his mark, and of course, Keaton is a perfect foil for him.  I did not find Taylor Kitsch to be as formidable and evil as I think he was supposed to be, which diluted the impact of some key scenes.

     My problem with action thrillers is that they are so filled with preposterous successes that I’m left cold.  In American Assassin, at one point, a character asks Mitch how he has survived so many close calls, then derides him if he thinks he’s special and deserving of sympathy.  All during the film, Mitch is amidst of all kinds of dangers, but somehow he comes out ahead, and the last scene shows that this is an origin story with sequels to come.  At least this one was more clever than most.

Take a ride on the black-ops special to see intrigue, bloody torturous encounters, and occasional humor.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

NOW YOU SEE ME 2

Mark Ruffalo   Lizzie Caplan   Daniel Radcliffe   Jesse Eisenberg   Dave Franco  

Morgan Freeman   Woody Harrelson   Michael Caine   Sanaa Lathan

          Dazzling sleights of hand, cat and mouse chases, vengeance, and power struggles continue the essence of the Now You See Me films (#3 is already planned).  Revelations about mysteries left unresolved in the first picture are cleverly revealed, specifically with regard to Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman).

        The Four Horsemen of Now You See Me have been in hiding for a year after they robbed their sponsor’s Parisian bank account during their performance in New York to give the spoils to their audience, many of who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.  They have been in training for the next big caper, the details of which have not been revealed.  They’re restless and resentful that the secret society from whom they receive their instructions, the Eye, has not provided them with more challenges.  The sponsor of their original show, Arthur Tressler (Caine) of Tressler Insurance, had not been generous to the victims, so the Horsemen considered themselves Robinhood figures who give to the poor what the rich have withheld.  Now, finally, the magic troupe has plans to reappear by usurping a major advertising promotion by the company Octa in London, 

         But the FBI is after them for their previous heist, along with Thaddeus, in jail for his role in the previous story, and Tressler, who lost millions in one of their heists.  Along for the venomous ride this time is Tressler’s son Walter (Radcliffe) who has a big investment in pleasing and redeeming his father.

         Sanguine truths are sprinkled about through this story to at least give it some depth.  Walter, who has learned from his father the value of secrecy, says, “True freedom is not being seen”, an astute observation of one who wants his actions and behavior to remain anonymous.  Another character emphatically refers to the “power of an empty fist”, so useful in magic tricks.  And finally, in the last few moments, Thaddeus observes that “Seeing is believing…” but he thinks it’s important to ask whether what’s seen is truth or lie.  (It’s noted that belief has ‘lie’ in the middle of the word.) 

        When the film begins, we learn that one of the Horsemen (played by Isla Fisher) is missing, and the team needs to recruit another.  After some disagreement, cheeky Lula (Caplan) is accepted and wins their respect for her skills.  Magic tricks are very similar to those in the first film, and all the actors are captivating in their renditions.  Radcliffe does a fine, convincing job in being evil with daddy issues.

          The last scenes are clearly set-ups for Now You See Me 3.

If you liked the first one, you’ll probably enjoy Now You See Me 2.  If not, skip it.

           

Grade:  C+                        By Donna R. Copeland