62% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 81 reviews)
Runtime: 109 minutes
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, David Rintoul, Ray Fearon
From: Lionsgate
It is understandable to me why not everyone has enjoyed The Protege. It does seem “rather European” in style at times; for certain it is measured and deliberate. The story is also not the most original, and at least once I did shake my head at an improbable moment/twist. Yet it happened to scratch certain itches and be a lot of fun for what it is.
The plot revolves around Maggie Q being raised to be an assassin by Samuel L. Jackson since he found her as a youth in Vietnam. Three decades later she has to return to Vietnam to not only seek revenge for a heinous crime, but also try and track someone down. Several things appealed to me besides the pacing: much of this was filmed in Vietnam and that is if nothing else a different setting from the norm-personally it also seems to be a lovely area in terms of scenery, both urban & rural. Having the leads by Q, Jackson and Michael Keaton definitely was an asset. Most importantly for action fans, it was shot in a mostly clear fashion & was satisfying whether it was martial arts, gunplay or other beats. It is also surprisingly graphic at times; limbs are broken, people fly through the air after shotgun blasts, multiple individuals are shot point-blank in the head, etc.
The mixed reaction it has received on Letterboxd and the disappointing United States box office performance: I get it, although I don't know if it was due to the marketing or what made this appealing to me only appeals to a small segment of the population. From hearsay this is better & more appealing than Reminiscence and as even the Paw Patrol movie has received more reviews on Letterboxd, I was happy to give this a shot. Note that the apparent best movie to come out the past few days (The Night House) will be seen in early September, which seemed like a better time for release anyhow. Unless you are like me and subscribe to AMC A-List or something similar, streaming may be the best option as this was more “pretty good” than “a must-see”. At least it was an action effort from at least a decent-sized studio (Lionsgate) that wasn't a disappointment.
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