The Protege

One of the oldest genres that are created in Hollywood are that of espionage films. We've seen so many: "Three Days of the Condor", "True Lies", "Rendition", "Tailor Tinker Soldier Spy", "Anna", the James Bond films, and the like. So, when "The Protege" came along, I had to see what it was all about.

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world's most skilled contract killer. But when Moody-- the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival--is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer Michael Rembrandt (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves ever tighter. 

Others to round out the cast are Robert Patrick as Billy Boy, David Rintoul as Edward Hayes, Patrick Malahide as Vohl, Ray Fearon as Duquet, Ori Pfeffer as Athens, Florin Piersic Jr. as Ram, Tudor Chirila as Petru, Velizar Binev as Don Preda, George Pistereanu as Vali and Gamba Cole as Benny. 

This was directed with intensity and grit by Martin Campbell ("The Sex Thief" '73, "Eskimo Nell" '75, "Three for All" '75, "Criminal Law" '88, "Defenseless" '91, "Cast a Deadly Spell" (TV movie) '91, "No Escape" '94, "GoldenEye" '95, "The Mask of Zorro" '98, "Vertical Limit" 2000, "Beyond Borders" '03, "The Legend of Zorro" '05, "Casino Royale" '06, "Edge of Darkness" '10, "Green Lantern" '11, "Reckless" (TV movie) '13, "Warriors" (TV movie) '14, "The Foreigner" '17) plus TV and a short. Obviously this director is a seasoned one and it's not difficult to see this when the pacing and grit he was able to extract from his actors were as effective as it was. The sheer pathos and cunningness his actors exuded gave it that impact when viewing this film. If you like his brand of directing, his "Memory" is in post production. It was cleverly written by seasoned Richard Wenk ("Vamp" '86, "Just the Ticket" '98, "16 Blocks" '06, "The Mechanic" '11, "The Expendables 2" '12, "The Equalizer" '14, "Countdown" '16, "The Magnificent Seven" '16, "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" '16, "American Renegades" '17, "The Equalizer 2" '18). This is one of those films where the lead character extracts revenge on someone they loved--not exactly an original premise, however Wenk was able to turn an otherwise yawn of a script into a tight, concise action-packed story with even a hint of humor to give it that realistic and witty flair. Other that a couple of very small places of choppiness, this screenplay simply rocked. The sarcastic banter thrown back and forth between Keaton and Maggie Q was refreshing and worked well considering it was a taught espionage film. 

Certainly if espionage films are your thing, this will delight. It has all what any avid moviegoer could want: action, explosives, drama and even humor all rolled up in a fun and exciting film for many to enjoy.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                           Rated: R                                                 116mins.