AMERICAN ASSASSIN (Dragonlord's Review)

[Myrddin Wild]

Malia can fuckin get it in this show though, holy that girl rocks daisy dukes

Reported for not posting a picture.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Reported for not posting a picture.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Got an unexpected day off of work - gonna take in a matinee.

either this or Mother.

 

[Guestx]

Okay @Dragonlordxxxxx, I decided to go ahead and catch it today. I think I liked it a bit more than you did, but only a bit more.

I thought the first 40 or so minutes of the film were actually pretty flawless. The opening scene felt very real and visceral and did a great job of setting the tone of the film and establishing Mitch's motivation. I felt like from that scene, to the scenes of him essentially training himself in hand-to-hand and armed combat, to the scenes of him training under Keaton's character were all very well done. If the film could have maintained that level of quality throughout, I think I'd be giving this a strong 8/10.

But unfortunately, I do think it fizzles a bit from there, due to a fairly generic, by-the-numbers political thriller plot.

Even then though I thought the film had its moments. You'll remember the scene where he realizes that a certain character he's been working with is not who he's thought they are. I thought that scene was pretty intense. It was also kind of fun when the film suddenly turns into a disaster movie near the end.

All in all I'm going to give it a 7/10. I liked it, but didn't love it. Thought it could've been better but is still above-average.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Okay @Dragonlordxxxxx, I decided to go ahead and catch it today. I think I liked it a bit more than you did, but only a bit more.

I thought the first 40 or so minutes of the film were actually pretty flawless. The opening scene felt very real and visceral and did a great job of setting the tone of the film and establishing Mitch's motivation. I felt like from that scene, to the scenes of him essentially training himself in hand-to-hand and armed combat, to the scenes of him training under Keaton's character were all very well done. If the film could have maintained that level of quality throughout, I think I'd be giving this a strong 8/10.

But unfortunately, I do think it fizzles a bit from there, due to a fairly generic, by-the-numbers political thriller plot.

Even then though I thought the film had its moments. You'll remember the scene where he realizes that a certain character he's been working with is not who he's thought they are. I thought that scene was pretty intense. It was also kind of fun when the film suddenly turns into a disaster movie near the end.

All in all I'm going to give it a 7/10. I liked it, but didn't love it. Thought it could've been better but is still above-average.

Sweet. Sounds like we shared the same sentiment on the movie - first half is good, second half kinda fizzled out a bit.

I still feel that if the studio was patient enough, the first movie could have just been about Mitch trying to infiltrate the terrorist group responsible for the beach massacre. The sequel would be about being recruited by the CIA, being trained by Stan and going after Ghost.

 

[Guestx]

I still feel that if the studio was patient enough, the first movie could have just been about Mitch trying to infiltrate the terrorist group responsible for the beach massacre. The sequel would be about being recruited by the CIA, being trained by Stan and going after Ghost.

Hmm, maybe. I dunno. I kind of liked the fact that this tried to do something a little different than just our main character going after some terrorists, which I feel like we've seen before.

A couple of other things I forgot to mention:

It was cool to see Scott Adkins in this movie. It seems like he's slowly but surely getting recognized by Hollywood and getting more and more screen time. I remember he used to just be an exclusively straight-to-video kind of guy.

I also didn't even realize that Taylor Kitsch was in this until you mentioned it in your review. I don't even remember him being mentioned in the trailers. I have always liked him and think that he doesn't usually get the credit he deserves. He's a very good actor who often gets hamstrung by becoming involved with disappointing projects. (Just imagine his excitement when he got cast in True Detective S2. And we know what ended up happening with that.)

And I liked that our lead character wasn't a super-buff steroided out guy, but just looked like a pretty regular dude with decent genetics who is dedicated to his diet and gym routine. I only wish they had shaved that patch of hair off the center of his chest. It bothered me. I kept thinking it looked like someone stapled a dead squirrel onto him.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

It was cool to see Scott Adkins in this movie. It seems like he's slowly but surely getting recognized by Hollywood and getting more and more screen time. I remember he used to just be an exclusively straight-to-video kind of guy.

Yeah, I was glad that Scott Adkins was in here in a sizable role... and not a bad guy. He's almost always a bad guy in a major motion picture lol.

Spoiler

Wished he had a chance to go mano-a-mano against Taylor Kitsch instead of being shanked lol.

I also didn't even realize that Taylor Kitsch was in this until you mentioned it in your review. I don't even remember him being mentioned in the trailers. I have always liked him and think that he doesn't usually get the credit he deserves. He's a very good actor who often gets hamstrung by becoming involved with disappointing projects. (Just imagine his excitement when he got cast in True Detective S2. And we know what ended up happening with that.)

I think Taylor has a limited range and he excels when he's being brooding.

I only wish they had shaved that patch of hair off the center of his chest. It bothered me. I kept thinking it looked like someone stapled a dead squirrel onto him.

Lol, same here.

 

[ufcfan4]

Okay @Dragonlordxxxxx, I decided to go ahead and catch it today. I think I liked it a bit more than you did, but only a bit more.

I thought the first 40 or so minutes of the film were actually pretty flawless. The opening scene felt very real and visceral and did a great job of setting the tone of the film and establishing Mitch's motivation.

That opening scene really creeped me out. As you said, it was extremely visceral. I thought it did a great job of highlighting the utter suddenness and randomness of such a type of attack. Everything is fun and chill and then all of a sudden the bullets are flying and bodies are dropping. Horrible, given, the type of incidents we read about in the news. In terms of execution, it reminded me a bit of the phenomenal scene in War of the Worlds where the alien machine emerges from the ground and just starts vaporizing people. I draw the comparison because both films gave the sense of the sheer randomness of who lives and who dies. O'Brien's character didn't survive it because he was in some way doing something different than anybody else on the beach who didn't. It was purely blind chance who lived and died and that moment when his poor fiance just got so casually killed was horrific.

I felt like from that scene, to the scenes of him essentially training himself in hand-to-hand and armed combat, to the scenes of him training under Keaton's character were all very well done. If the film could have maintained that level of quality throughout, I think I'd be giving this a strong 8/10.

Keaton has to be one of the GOAT. He stole virtually any scene he was in in this movie. The conviction when he baits Mitch, "Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? I don't," was real high quality acting. Very entertaining performance.

But unfortunately, I do think it fizzles a bit from there, due to a fairly generic, by-the-numbers political thriller plot.

Certainly cliched, but a cliched movie well done is still solid.

Even then though I thought the film had its moments. You'll remember the scene where he realizes that a certain character he's been working with is not who he's thought they are. I thought that scene was pretty intense. It was also kind of fun when the film suddenly turns into a disaster movie near the end.

Yeah that was a good scene in that they made you think it was going one direction and then it suddenly went the other way and got very intense.

All in all I'm going to give it a 7/10. I liked it, but didn't love it. Thought it could've been better but is still above-average.

7 or 7.5 for me. Certainly an entertaining, well-executed action film. I thought DOB was very convincing in the lead role and Keaton added a great deal. The hand-to-hand combat was quality and the narrative, while standard, never felt like it dragged.

 

[ufcfan4]

Hmm, maybe. I dunno. I kind of liked the fact that this tried to do something a little different than just our main character going after some terrorists, which I feel like we've seen before.

Same. Kind of respect the notion that he had worked so hard to get in the situation that he found himself early in the film only to see his plans go awry cause the CIA takes out the person he wants to exact revenge upon.

I also didn't even realize that Taylor Kitsch was in this until you mentioned it in your review. I don't even remember him being mentioned in the trailers. I have always liked him and think that he doesn't usually get the credit he deserves. He's a very good actor who often gets hamstrung by becoming involved with disappointing projects. (Just imagine his excitement when he got cast in True Detective S2. And we know what ended up happening with that.)

Dude was like in a position where he was supposed to be the next big thing but got sidelined by John Carter and Battleship among other things. Definitely an underrated actor at this point. He did a good job in this film.

And I liked that our lead character wasn't a super-buff steroided out guy, but just looked like a pretty regular dude with decent genetics who is dedicated to his diet and gym routine. I only wish they had shaved that patch of hair off the center of his chest. It bothered me. I kept thinking it looked like someone stapled a dead squirrel onto him.

As an Italian-American with a good amount of bdoy hair, I respected it lol. Tired of feeling like I"m the last vestige of people who don't shave chest hair.

 

[Guestx]

That opening scene really creeped me out. As you said, it was extremely visceral. I thought it did a great job of highlighting the utter suddenness and randomness of such a type of attack. Everything is fun and chill and then all of a sudden the bullets are flying and bodies are dropping. Horrible, given, the type of incidents we read about in the news. In terms of execution, it reminded me a bit of the phenomenal scene in War of the Worlds where the alien machine emerges from the ground and just starts vaporizing people. I draw the comparison because both films gave the sense of the sheer randomness of who lives and who dies. O'Brien's character didn't survive it because he was in some way doing something different than anybody else on the beach who didn't. It was purely blind chance who lived and died and that moment when his poor fiance just got so casually killed was horrific.

Yeah, agreed. It almost felt like found footage of a real event.

I think a lot of people have an idea of what they'd do or how they'd react in a situation like that no one really knows. As you say, it's just sudden, random and chaotic violence. A truly terrifying experience, I'm sure.

Keaton has to be one of the GOAT. He stole virtually any scene he was in in this movie. The conviction when he baits Mitch, "Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? I don't," was real high quality acting. Very entertaining performance.

Agreed. A movie instantly becomes just a little bit better by doing nothing more than featuring him. I saw Spider-Man: Homecoming a few days ago and he has a similar effect on that film as well.

It's good to see that he's working regularly again in high-profile films. He was off the radar for a WHILE. From about '98 to about 2010, he really didn't do a whole lot of note.

When he showed up in The Other Guys in 2010, I specifically remember being like, "Oh shit, it's Michael Keaton!" It was the first time I had seen him in anything since White Noise in 2005. And White Noise was the first thing since that stupid snowman movie in the late 90s.

Yeah that was a good scene in that they made you think it was going one direction and then it suddenly went the other way and got very intense.

Spoiler

While it was happening, I remember thinking that this might be the moment where he goes too far. Because such a big part of the movie was him failing to follow orders and going rogue and shit, so I thought this might be the moment where he follows his hunch and is wrong, and maybe even ends up killing an innocent girl.

It was a really well-done scene.

7 or 7.5 for me.

Go register your vote in the poll!

Dude was like in a position where he was supposed to be the next big thing but got sidelined by John Carter and Battleship among other things. Definitely an underrated actor at this point. He did a good job in this film.

Yeah, John Carter and Battleship back-to-back was rough. Two huge, very expensive movies that ended up bombing.

Then True Detective S2 was expected to be big, and most viewers ended up hating it.

Poor guy. Hopefully he can catch a break soon. He's playing the lead in an upcoming Spike mini-series about the Waco incident in the 90s. Hopefully that will be good.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/li...arring-taylor-kitsch-lands-at-spike-tv-941406

As an Italian-American with a good amount of bdoy hair, I respected it lol. Tired of feeling like I"m the last vestige of people who don't shave chest hair.

Maybe it's about coverage. He had only a little chest hair and it was mostly just this weird patch right in the middle. I dunno, ha ha.

 

[Guestx]

I think Taylor has a limited range and he excels when he's being brooding.

I dunno. Maybe he only seems to have limited range because he only gets certain kinds of parts. Maybe if someone would actually cast him in something light and fun, like a Coen film, then he'd shine.

Hard to know, but what I can say is that I've enjoyed the performances that I've seen.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

I dunno. Maybe he only seems to have limited range because he only gets certain kinds of parts. Maybe if someone would actually cast him in something light and fun, like a Coen film, then he'd shine.

Hard to know, but what I can say is that I've enjoyed the performances that I've seen.

I will always remember this scene in Battleship where Alexander Skarsgard died when his ship blew up in front of his brother, Taylor, and then Taylor's reaction was just so unnaturally bad. Taylor's companions screamed and cried while he just looked on like he just witnessed a minor traffic accident. Maybe it's also the director's fault for choosing that reaction but at the same time I have a feeling they did some rehearsals and Taylor's acting wasn't up to par and that's why they didn't allow him to show any emotions.

 

[Guestx]

I will always remember this scene in Battleship where Alexander Skarsgard died when his ship blew up in front of his brother, Taylor, and then Taylor's reaction was just so unnaturally bad. Taylor's companions screamed and cried while he just looked on like he just witnessed a minor traffic accident. Maybe it's also the director's fault for choosing that reaction but at the same time I have a feeling they did some rehearsals and Taylor's acting wasn't up to par and that's why they didn't allow him to show any emotions.

LOL. I can't say I remember that scene specifically.

But I do feel like Battleship is a better film than it has gotten credit for. I haven't rewatched it or think it's a great film, but I thought it was a good enough Summer blockbuster when I saw it in the theater. It had its moments and didn't deserve the "LOL what a turrible movie!" talk.

 

[iThrillhouse]

LOL what a turrible movie!

bruh. it was fucking awful lol


I was pleasantly surprised with this movie...the full shlock disaster movie ending aside. I thought it was a pretty decent action movie...I agree with DL...Mitch getting vengeance against the terrorists would have been MUCH more rewarding as a third act than what we got.

One of my other gripes is as soon as they get to Turkey, Mitch kind of takes the backseat in the movie and isn't given much to do... hell he even gives the girl his gun because he's too big to fit through a cage (hardcore laugh from me at that scene)

The hand to hand combat stuff was great....I wish Kitsch and other Mitch actually threw down in the restaurant instead of him just dying like a bitch...but whatever...


pretty servicable action movie...the first 45 minutes were tremendous! the opening beach stuff I legitimately forgot I was in a gritty action movie, and when the terrorists started shooting I wasl ike holy christ...right...this is a revenge movie...

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: September 17, 2017

AMERICAN ASSASSIN Debuts at No. 2 with Solid $14.8 Million Opening Weekend

CBS Films and Lionsgate's American Assassin placed No. 2 with a solid $14.8 million from 3,154 theaters, on par with Lionsgate's 2014 action pic John Wick ($14.4 million). The movie cost a net $33 million to make.

Directed by Michael Cuesta, American Assassin stars Dylan O'Brien as a CIA operative who teams with a veteran agent (Michael Keaton) to stop terrorists from starting a world war. The film, also featuring Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar and Taylor Kitsch, is based on late author Vince Flynn's novel of the same name and earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences.

Heading into the weekend, American Assassin held only a slight edge over mother! according to tracking. But throughout the weekend, mother! continued to slip. Getting slapped with an F CinemaScore on Friday didn't help matters (only a dozen or so movies have ever received the failing grade) for mother!

Weekend Box Office: 'It' Devours Darren Aronofsky's 'mother!' With $60M

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

LOL. I can't say I remember that scene specifically.

Here's a partial clip of the scene. It's not complete but you'll get the idea. Skip to the 2:20 mark and witness Taylor's awful acting reaction to his brother's death.

 

[iThrillhouse]

Heading into the weekend, American Assassin held only a slight edge over mother! according to tracking. But throughout the weekend, mother! continued to slip. Getting slapped with an F CinemaScore on Friday didn't help matters (only a dozen or so movies have ever received the failing grade) for mother!

this is NOT an F grade movie by any stretch.... online rating systems are always a joke

glad to see this movie on track to make back its budget! This could be a very decent series if they dial back on the shlockiness

 

[ufcfan4]

this is NOT an F grade movie by any stretch.... online rating systems are always a joke

glad to see this movie on track to make back its budget! This could be a very decent series if they dial back on the shlockiness

don't worry- the F is for Mother! not for American Assassin. And while I saw both and Mother! does not deserve an F, it has a scene that will alienate/piss off/disgust virtually everybody who watches so I can see why the Cineamscore is shit.

American Assassin was damn solid. Hope they make enough to justify the sequel.

 

[Trumpisurdaddy]

I was really disappointed in it. They rushed everything.

Goes from his girl dying to him infiltrating a terrorist network with no help or training to him being recruited to the assassin program at the CIA to him stopping a nuke fresh out of a couple classes of training.

They should of made it where they recruit him out of Brown and show all the badass traininr he gets. Then how he goes and infiltrates the terrorist organization.

I doubt they will have another one since this one didnt make that much money.

 

[Guestx]

bruh. it was fucking awful lol

Look. . . I'm not gonna say that Battleship is on the level of Independence Day--because it's not, at all--but it's basically Independence Day on a smaller level where it's aliens vs the US Navy instead of aliens vs the world.

Like I said earlier, it's not great, but it's a solid enough Summer action movie.

The hand to hand combat stuff was great....I wish Kitsch and other Mitch actually threw down in the restaurant instead of him just dying like a bitch...but whatever...

Bruh, that's Scott Adkins. Don't you know who Scott Adkins is? You need to aware yourself if you don't.

But yeah, it would've been good to see some hand-to-hand stuff there.

the first 45 minutes were tremendous! the opening beach stuff I legitimately forgot I was in a gritty action movie, and when the terrorists started shooting I wasl ike holy christ...right...this is a revenge movie...