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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published:29 November 2007

A 100-hit wonder

HITMAN
Directed by Xavier Gens
Certificate 15

ASSASSINS come in various guises, but few as bizarre as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) who roams the world as an anonymous hitman responsible for more than 100 killings on six continents.
He has no name because he was raised as part of a genetically engineered team by a shadowy organisation called the Agency, which performs assassinations for hire. But, for a man who moves in the shadows, you have to wonder why he has his barcode tattooed on the back of his cueball head for all to see, with the last two digits 47 to identify him.
This is just one of the wondrous absurdities in an action film that would make even James Bond sit up and take notice, as the lethal anti-hero is sent on a mission to knock off the Russian president (Ulrich Thomsen). But when his target appears in public soon after, an Interpol agent (Dougray Scott) on his trail is confused. “That man doesn’t miss,” he growls, trying to work out what went wrong.
The lone-wolf assassin is no stranger to our screens. But this one goes way over the top with one noisy shoot-out after another, and our boy mowing down black-clad stormtroopers as a diversion from a plethora of daring escapes and close shaves.
The film is based on a popular video game, and looks it. Brain in neutral, you may enjoy it. Just make sure you take your ear plugs.

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