Film: Wild Target
Director: Jonathon Lynn
Written By: Lucinda Coxon
Distributor: Cinema NX
Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
Starring: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, Eileen Atkins, Rupert Everett, Martin Freeman
There are two films about assassins out in the UK this week. They are both comedies. They are both quite well promoted. One cost $75million to make. The other cost $8million to make. One stars Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigel. The other stars Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt. One is American. The other is British. One is called Killers, whilst the other is called Wild Target. One is good. The other is infinitely shite. Take a guess which is which?
Yes, it really is a good week for you if you like your comedies with assassins as the main characters with good looking love interests. If you have been waiting for a film like this, you may be wondering which you should see. If you are going to take my advice on anything at all for the rest of life, let it be this: please, please, do NOT go and see Killers! I am begging you! Wild Target is so much better than Killers.
The plot revolves around Victor Maynard (Nighy), a 54 year old assassin. He is a master at his craft, highly respected by the people who hire him and lives to please his aging mother (Atkins). He's hired by gangster Ferguson (Everett) to track down con artist Rose (Blunt) who sold him a fake painting and swindled him out of £900,000. However; Maynard decides to spare Rose, runs into Tony (Grint) who he decides to take on as his apprentice, and the trio go on the run from Maynard's replacement, Dixon (Freeman).
Performance wise; the leads, Nighy, Blunt and Grint, are all very good. Nighy, in particular, inhabits his initially cold, emotionless character with the element of humanity required to make him likeable to the audience. So, bravo to Nighy for that. Special attention should be centred to Eileen Atkins as Victor's consistently unimpressed mother, who is a laugh riot, as well as Martin Freeman as Dixon, who is also very funny.
The plot is refreshingly simple. There are no massive twists or turns, no big betrayals and no needless plot devices. It's a simple story told well. Same can be said for the film's run time, which is only an hour and a half. There is very little flab here, which is also a nice change. It's also funny. Not In The Loop funny or Hot Fuzz funny. It's just a funny film. The gags are good if a little telegraphed and predictable. You won't find anything quotable, but you will find some enjoyable sections.
But there are issues. Rupert Everett is useless. Not the person, God no. He's quite amusing when he's involved. But that's the problem; his character is useless outside of the first 30 odd minutes. Eventually, he's just written out completely which is quite tragic for somebody with his ability.
The comedy is done right, but the drama isn't. The "serious" scenes just fall flat. Plus there's a romantic subplot between Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt which is not only creepy, but also extremely boring. The film also runs out of steam after about an hour, leaving the final half hour to be a bit of a drag. Oh, and the ending is sudden and laden with at least one unresolved plot thread (a.k.a. Rupert Everett).
Despite those flaws though, Wild Target is still an enjoyable time at the movies. It's not brilliant and you won't find anything quotable in it, but it's a good comedy. It's not particularly memorable but it's a good time whilst it lasts. It is very useful to kill some time and is the best new release this week. So give it a check out. Who knows, you may have fun. Unless MacGruber is showing at a cinema within a 50 mile radius of you. In which case, go see that instead.
3 out of 5.
Director: Jonathon Lynn
Written By: Lucinda Coxon
Distributor: Cinema NX
Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
Starring: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, Eileen Atkins, Rupert Everett, Martin Freeman
There are two films about assassins out in the UK this week. They are both comedies. They are both quite well promoted. One cost $75million to make. The other cost $8million to make. One stars Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigel. The other stars Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt. One is American. The other is British. One is called Killers, whilst the other is called Wild Target. One is good. The other is infinitely shite. Take a guess which is which?
Yes, it really is a good week for you if you like your comedies with assassins as the main characters with good looking love interests. If you have been waiting for a film like this, you may be wondering which you should see. If you are going to take my advice on anything at all for the rest of life, let it be this: please, please, do NOT go and see Killers! I am begging you! Wild Target is so much better than Killers.
The plot revolves around Victor Maynard (Nighy), a 54 year old assassin. He is a master at his craft, highly respected by the people who hire him and lives to please his aging mother (Atkins). He's hired by gangster Ferguson (Everett) to track down con artist Rose (Blunt) who sold him a fake painting and swindled him out of £900,000. However; Maynard decides to spare Rose, runs into Tony (Grint) who he decides to take on as his apprentice, and the trio go on the run from Maynard's replacement, Dixon (Freeman).
Performance wise; the leads, Nighy, Blunt and Grint, are all very good. Nighy, in particular, inhabits his initially cold, emotionless character with the element of humanity required to make him likeable to the audience. So, bravo to Nighy for that. Special attention should be centred to Eileen Atkins as Victor's consistently unimpressed mother, who is a laugh riot, as well as Martin Freeman as Dixon, who is also very funny.
The plot is refreshingly simple. There are no massive twists or turns, no big betrayals and no needless plot devices. It's a simple story told well. Same can be said for the film's run time, which is only an hour and a half. There is very little flab here, which is also a nice change. It's also funny. Not In The Loop funny or Hot Fuzz funny. It's just a funny film. The gags are good if a little telegraphed and predictable. You won't find anything quotable, but you will find some enjoyable sections.
But there are issues. Rupert Everett is useless. Not the person, God no. He's quite amusing when he's involved. But that's the problem; his character is useless outside of the first 30 odd minutes. Eventually, he's just written out completely which is quite tragic for somebody with his ability.
The comedy is done right, but the drama isn't. The "serious" scenes just fall flat. Plus there's a romantic subplot between Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt which is not only creepy, but also extremely boring. The film also runs out of steam after about an hour, leaving the final half hour to be a bit of a drag. Oh, and the ending is sudden and laden with at least one unresolved plot thread (a.k.a. Rupert Everett).
Despite those flaws though, Wild Target is still an enjoyable time at the movies. It's not brilliant and you won't find anything quotable in it, but it's a good comedy. It's not particularly memorable but it's a good time whilst it lasts. It is very useful to kill some time and is the best new release this week. So give it a check out. Who knows, you may have fun. Unless MacGruber is showing at a cinema within a 50 mile radius of you. In which case, go see that instead.
3 out of 5.