Hitman

Films based on video games are often pretty poor. Remember Doom? Not if you are lucky. But I don't think the whole genre deserves the universal reflex panning it usually gets. The first Tomb Raider and Resident Evil films were reasonable. And I propose that my favourite, Hitman, is actually quite good.

SPOILERS

OK, so there are some silly points... such as Interpol not being able to find a large bald man with a bar-code tattoo on his head, who always wears a black suit and a bright red tie, for over 3 years. Oh, and the ultra-highly trained member of The Organisation sent to kill Agent 47 manages to miss by miles from just across the street... just after equally well trained Agent 47 has killed Belicoff from a range of 4 kilometres!

Put those things aside for a moment. No action film is without the need to suspend disbelief a little.

I think Hitman works because Timothy Olyphant is brilliant. He's an anti-hero who has his standards and sticks to them. Everything from the way he walks and talks to the silent looks he gives some people says "just don't mess with me, alright!"

There's a great scene where he comes crashing through a hotel window. He doesn't say anything. He just looks at the occupants as if to say "you got a problem with this?" and then leaves. Observant film-goers might notice that the occupants were actually playing the Hitman video game! Nice bit of self-referencing there.

This is more than a one man film though. Olga Kurylenko as the bitchy-exterior Nika is the perfect foil for Agent 47. She's annoying enough to provide some good exchanges between the two characters, but nice enough to not want 47 to kill her... and being something of a beauty "it's impolite to stare" she provides a few distractions from the rough edges.

Unlike similar capers the guys chasing the "hero" are not complete idiots. Dougray Scott and Michael Offei are refreshingly competent Interpol cops who are continuously foiled by corrupt agents and the vested interests served by The Organisation. This is an important point. The fact that they are good at their job only serves to further heighten Agent 47's prowess and the sinisterness of The Organisation.

Overall I think that Hitman has an atmosphere very similar to some of my favourite man-with-no-name westerns starring Clint Eastwood. Yes, it has flaws, but it's very entertaining too.