When a CIA operative is killed, his memories are implanted in the mind of an unstable, violently dangerous Criminal in the hopes that his skills will make him able to complete the dangerous mission.
Very little is known about the details of the this new thriller aside from the outstanding cast, almost all of whom have significant superhero films under their belts. Not that this is a superhero movie, although an argument can be made that it is based on the trailers. Kevin Costner, seemingly channeling a bit of rogue Nicholas Cage, is the centerpiece of the drama, a hardened criminal on death row who gets a chance for some redemption by completing the mission that has been shot into his memories.
Despite the superhero background of the main cast, there’s no denying the impressive list of names assembled on this project, several of whom are not shown in the clip, including Alice Eve, Robert Davi, Michael Pitt, and Antje Traue (who also was in a superhero film, playing Faora-Ul in Man of Steel) to name a few. This clip really swings the pendulum between action and romantic drama, and looks to be doing it right, and while Costner is flip a coin reliable for a good a performance, has always been appealing as a bad guy, even if he’s gotta turn good for this role. Gary Oldman and Tommy Lee Jones are in fine form as well, and the brief glimpse of Reynolds look promising.
There is a lot to like in this clip. The action is well-staged and some of the stunts look very impressive and admittedly thrilling, with a lot of hints at a more emotional story lying underneath the shootouts and explosions. Being that little is known beyond these clips, there is warrant for concern that the studio is not supportive of the film, but so far, we are looking forward to this one.
Criminal opens April 15, 2016.
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Kevin Coster, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Alice Eve