This feature from LionsGate opens at cinemas on August 20th.
The last few years haven’t been the most dynamic for action movie enthusiasts. With the exception of the John Wick franchise and the odd title here and there, pickings have been relatively slim and often unmemorable. The Protégé is the latest feature to provide audiences with some butt-kicking and skull-cracking fights. Admittedly, it’s a smaller movie and won’t be seen as a classic, but the title boasts seasoned director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, GoldenEye, Casino Royale and most recently, The Foreigner) and an impressive supporting cast who deliver enough hits to provide some pulpy fun.
Anna Dutton (Maggie Q) is an assassin and, amusingly enough, bookstore owner who got into the killing business because of a brutal and traumatizing childhood event in Vietnam. After being adopted by hit man Moody Dutton (Samuel L. Jackson), Anna has followed in her guardian’s profession. The two expertly track down and eliminate targets for clients. When Moody decides to look into an old file involving a murder carried out some 30 years earlier, his actions set off a dangerous chain of events. Threatening figures arrive to eliminate both the aged hitman and Anna. Anna escapes and attempts to find out what caused this attack, fighting off nasty employees working for a mysterious overseer. The most prominent pursuer is Rembrandt (Michael Keaton), a clever clean-up artist with a sharp mind.
The story itself is nothing new. The bad guys are large, vicious and unrelenting and even the good guys admit to having ambiguous morals and ethics, understanding and acknowledging that sooner or later they will all meet a violent end. It does take a while for the chase between the lead and the villains to really get up and running, but once it does the very game cast help sell the material. The likable lead shows off some incredible skills and abilities, but also finds herself frequently overwhelmed by the merciless forces out to get her. It does create some tension and an increased level of threat to the mission.
There’s plenty of dark humor sprinkled throughout the deadly and more serious moments. Not all of it works, but there are plenty of effective verbal jabs between the leads. The Rembrandt character is also entertaining to watch and Keaton relishes the opportunity to play a heavy. His quips about the dimmer members of his crew often result in chuckles, as do his oddly flirtatious interactions with the protagonist. It’s all outrageous to watch, but the playfulness of the entire cast allows the dialogue to generate a bit of gallows humor. And, as expected, Jackson adds a few choice comments into the mix. Even supporting cast members like a biker named Billy Boy (Robert Patrick) add a bit of welcome flavor.
While the story is conventional and predictable in many respects, the material doesn’t always play out exactly as anticipated. There are a couple of eccentric spins thrown into seemingly familiar scenes that result in several conversations and confrontations developing in an unexpected manner. And with director Campbell at the help, the fights are all extremely well-staged and thrilling to watch. Those who appreciate a gross-out moment or two in their battle scenes will witness a lot of wince-inducing moments involving head trauma.
Again, action pictures like this are seemingly a dime a dozen and this revenge tale isn’t likely to go down in the annals of history as a classic. However, the bone-breaking action is impressive and the lead and cast members are clearly having a great deal of fun. Overall, everyone involved in front of and behind the camera manages to wring some entertainment out of the events depicted. Ultimately, The Protégé provides enough pulpy thrills and excitement to earn itself a recommendation.