Unfortunately, it’s as good as the film ever gets. In the immediate aftermath of that opening, we follow Rapp over a prolonged period of time – denoted in part by the age-old method of changing facial hair and on-screen text – as he’s recruited by the CIA, who aim to channel his thirst for revenge. We know the drill here: training sequences, then action. Things lift accordingly when he’s put under the watch of been-there-done-that veteran Stan Hurley, played by the always-watchable Michael Keaton. Is Rapp ready for action, though, or is his temperament when it matters still, ultimately, suspect? It matters not as the film’s main plot escalates, where Rapp and Hurley find themselves against terrorists trying to ignite a Middle Eastern war. Very, very vicious terrorists as it happens, who happen to have read the BBFC guidelines for an 18 certificate and know just which buttons to press. They duly press them. Countering that, of course Michael Keaton is good. He always is. But his character? A collection of the usual broad strokes, really. Experienced, a hard-line mentor, not convinced by his young charge. O’Brien, meanwhile, has proven he can lead a film franchise with The Maze Runner, but finding a handle on Rapp is a tall order. The problem of having a black ops operative at the heart of the film is they need to be quiet, fast and, well, covert. That presents a challenge to build a film around, and O’Brien plays the character well – I fully got his motivation, and how he went about things – but doesn’t power the movie. Without a fuller ensemble of well-written characters around him, it starts to fall flat. A disappointment, this. For much of the film’s 112 minute running time – and it feels a good chunk longer than that – the film simply doesn’t spark. Going ultra-violent gives it some distinction in the context of current cinema, but it’s telling that’s being talked about as its key selling point. Sporadically, there are moments of note, and one or two of the training sequences in particular are very well done. But, whilst occasionally impressing, American Assassin looks more destined for a life being browsed past on the Netflix carousel than a movie franchise.
