American Assassin (2017) Movie Review

Official American Assassin Poster

There are moments in life that are powerful enough to change our way of thinking (for better or worse) and, in more extreme cases, reshape one’s beliefs and goals, in just a matter of seconds. BOOM! Just like that. You see your life crumbling and there is nothing you can do about it, except to suffer and feel the pain. Everything will be different from now on, and that is all thanks to that specific event… Mitch Rapp, played by Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner and Teen Wolf), experiences something very similar, in American Assassin’s opening credits.

Official American Assassin Promotional Banner

Mitch had just got engaged when a terrorist attack is unleashed and he is forced to witness his girlfriend’s death, feeling powerless. This causes Mitch to embark on a vindictive journey, fueled by hatred and the unsettling need of revenge. Dylan plays this conflicted side of his character very convincingly, making the audience root for him, throughout the film. The movie is directed by Michael Cuesta, someone who is used to working on TV shows but lacks experience when it comes to tackling bigger projects, as this feature film, for example.

Still of Michael Keaton striking a pose on American Assassin

However, he does a competent job, injecting energy where the movie needs. We follow the story of Mitch, our title character, and, driven by his obsessive quest for vengeance, he is ultimately recruited by the government and joins a top secret counterterrorism organization, run by Michael Keaton’s Stan Hurley. Keaton continues his streak of getting to play well written characters and here, he delivers a solid performance. Stan Hurley is in charge of a boot camp located in the woods, designed with the sole purpose of getting soldiers into shape.

Still of Dylan O'Brien and Shiva Negar while shooting American Assassin

The movie has some nice training montages and Mitch’s irreverence always comes into play. Now, let´s delve into the film’s plot; it revolves around 15 Kg of plutonium (a MacGuffin, in other words), stolen by big bad mercenary codenamed Ghost, played by Taylor Kitsch (John Carter and Battleship). Ghost is working alongside some political figures, in order to create a bomb. Unfortunately, the script has some problems and Taylor’s character suffers from it and comes out as under-developed and somewhat cliché.

Official Ghost character poster for American Assassin

The movie in general feels very familiar, following the usual tropes of thrillers alike and it sometimes gave me a been-there done-that felling, if you know what I mean.  The narrative is relatively straightforward, with a couple of twists and turns mashed in between. In terms of action, it feels brutal and visceral, much due to the fact that American Assassin is rated R. The action sequences are a bit choppy and not that inventive, but they are serviceable and decent, in their own way.

Official Reveal American Assassin Poster

Overall, I firmly believe the movie works, but the screenplay needed some tweaks and the direction could have been more artistic and bold, as American Assassin would have benefitted from it. On one last note, it seems the possibility of a sequel is real, in which case there is enough room for improvement and this franchise could truly blossom. Dylan will grow into the role and it will be a win-win situation for everyone involved.

With that being said, I rate this movie with a C+. But, most importantly, have you seen American Assassin? Do you agree with me, or do you think differently? Jump into the comments’ section down below and share your thoughts.