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Created Sep 23, 2017 11:50PM PST • Edited Apr 14, 2019 08:39PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   The War Against Islamist Terror gets short shrift in the nearly risible American Assassin, which starts well, powerfully well, but then goes mostly downhill. Quality aside: Sequel or No Sequel? That is the question. This origin story sets a low bar, yet made money, so why not a sequel. It’ll almost certainly be better.

   A wannabe blockbuster, AA fails to fully thrive, notwithstanding drawing from a slew of bestselling novels about Mitch Rapp, CIA assassin, and featuring a characteristically great Michael Keaton performance.

   Hit-or-miss performances and cravenly amoral behaviors drag it down. As to the latter, everyone is fair game to target: bad guys, good guys, it doesn’t matter. This besmirches the Islamist War, to put it mildly.

   Ultimately, an action thriller must have a great villain. American Assassin doesn’t. Taylor Kitsch is simply weak beer, even though this is one of his better performances. Nor does the script help him, the poor slob.

   Bottom line: Keep your expectations low. American Assassin will exceed them and be worth the ticket.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Leading Men

   • Dylan O’Brien is a credible Mitch Rapp, former All-American lacrosse player now out to kill as many Islamists as possible. Credible, but not great.
   • Taylor Kitsch could damn near be his body double, which makes for some confusion when he first appears as the villain. Kitsch is best when he doesn’t have to say much. Unfortunately, he’s given too much to say in American Assassin. Plus, most of it is trite.
   • Michael Keaton plays their mentor, and it’s clear that neither O’Brien or Kitsch has his panache, nor do their characters. There’s only one big-time moviestar here.

   Mostly Disappointing Supporting Cast

   • Sanaa Lathan pouts a lot as a CIA Deputy Director. David Suchet is even weaker as the Director.
   • Shiva Negar is a rather resistible femme fatale.
   • Navid Negahban fulminates in Farsi as a mendacious Iranian diplomat.
   • Charlotte Vega stuns in a perfect opening scene.

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

   Michael Keaton is great, always. Dylan O’Brien isn’t. He may be in the future, but he’s not here.

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

   Charlotte Vega was great as the fiancé of any red-blooded guy’s dreams. One scene, one perfect scene she plays, in a white bikini. Perfect.

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Good 3.0

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 3.2

17. Sex Titillating 1.6

18. Violence Savage 4.1

19. Rudeness Nasty 3.8

21. Reality

    Supernatural 3.4

    Filled with real people acting supernatural. IOW, lots of bogus action in this wannabe action blockbuster.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.9

23. Biological Supernatural 3.7

24. Physical Supernatural 3.6