The Killer's Game
The Killer's Game
Starring Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Pom Klementieff, Ben Kingsley
Directed by J.J. Perry
Joe Flood (Dave Baustista) is an accomplished assassin who works for his mentor Zvi (Ben Kingsley) who kills only bad guys, and never innocent bystanders. He lives a solitary life, but when he meets dancer Maize (Sofia Boutella), he falls head over heels in love with her and wants to retire from the business. Before he can do so, he suffers from numerous headaches and is diagnosed with an incurable brain disease that gives him three months to live. Not wanting to put Maize or himself through that, he goes to rival Antoinette (Pom Klementieff) to put out a hit - on himself. Antoinette obliges because Joe killed her father and she's been wanting revenge for years, and enlists a slew of assassins to take him down. Then Joe learns that the doctor misdiagnosed him and he's not dying, but Antoinette won't stop the hit - leaving Joe to take on an army of assassins as well as protect the woman he loves.
"The Killer's Game" doesn't advertise itself as anything more than some mindless action fun, and to that end it delivers in spades. It's fun, carefree, and lighthearted, filled with humor and great action sequences that make the film passable for watching on streaming sometime when you have free time. It's not one of those "must see" movies, but it's one you can appreciate for the pure simplicity of it. Essentially it's about an assassin who kills other assassins who are after him, and that's basically it. That's all you need, and that's all it delivers - with a side of love story that does move the thin plot forward but ultimately isn't really necessary.
Dave Bautista has really emerged as the best wrestler-turned-actor in recent time (sorry Dwayne Johnson, but Bautista has more range). He plays Joe with a mixture of intensity, heart, and deadpan humor that he's best known for, and it helps all the more that his main foe in the film is Pom Klementieff, as both co-starred in the MCU as Drax and Mantis, and their chemistry flows into this movie as well (giving Pom more to work with as well, shedding any sense of niceness that Mantis exudes). Their brief interaction is hilarious and you can sense the comradere between them, and I only wish they had more screentime together.
Sofia Boutella is one of those actresses that seemed to be the next big thing, but ultimately fell off the radar. She starred in a series of action films such as "Kingsman: The Secret Service," "Star Trek Beyond," "Atomic Blonde" and "Hotel Artemis," but hasn't really been in anything stellar since then. Her role here is criminally underutilized and is one of the drawbacks of the throwback feel, as she's reduced to the damsel in distress role best known in the 80s and 90s where female-led action movies weren't really heard of. She has proven herself as an action hero, and not being able to use those talents was a waste of talent.
Still, the film relies on action, and again it delivers. The assassins are unique and definitely not one-dimensional, ranging from a killer K-Pop group to hilarious Scottish brothers who need subtitles to understand (even though you can pretty much understand what they're saying, but the subtitles are more...subtle) to a dancing killer and two lesbians, there's no bland characters here. The standout is Terry Crews, who's Lovedahl is the most flushed out and intriguing, but it's hard for me to take him seriously in a role like this since he's been hosting "America's Got Talent."
If you're looking for a film filled with action and little story, "The Killer's Game" is right up your alley, and since Dave Bautista is leading, it's one you won't regret watching - when you find the time.
The Score: B
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