Back within the early 90s, the emergence of Quentin Tarantino sparked a mini-boom in crime thrillers, some good (Pure Born Killers), some much less so (The Boondock Saints). Primarily based on the novel Gun Monkeys, this new Pierce Brosnan car is a throwback to that period in nearly each means attainable – and that’s largely on the root of what’s each good and dangerous about it.
We open with a flash-forward to a motor-vehicle graveyard in Florida the place Brosnan, AKA hitman Charlie Swift, is hanging about trying shifty. An unseen antagonist orders him to place his fingers within the air and take his shirt off. He complies, after which voiceover from Brosnan primarily follows the format of the file scratch meme (that intones “Yep, that’s me. You’re most likely questioning how I received into this case …”). You’ll spend the subsequent 90 minutes discovering out, and for probably the most half that’s a brisk and painless journey that romps merrily alongside, powered by its personal cliches and reminiscences of higher motion pictures, in a means that’s extra comfortingly acquainted than wearisome.
One factor that’s much less acquainted is Charlie Swift’s accent. Is he a seasoned American gangster from the Sunshine state? Is he a good-looking septuagenarian Irish actor, ageing like a superb wine, whose attribute brogue merely can’t be repressed? Somewhat enjoyably, he’s each, relying on the second. He’s additionally set on romancing Morena Baccarin’s character, a streetwise taxidermist about 25 years his junior. It’s exhausting to flee the suspicion that Brosnan’s position was developed with maybe extra of a 50-ish clever man sort in thoughts – after which Brosnan turned obtainable they usually simply went with it, due to course you’d.
Quick Charlie additionally supplied a ultimate position for James Caan, though it doesn’t really feel like they’d all that many days with the Godfather star; it’s extra of a talismanic, vibes-based look, in an inessential however entertaining sufficient film that doesn’t outstay its welcome and includes a man getting decapitated by an exploding doughnut. What extra would you like?
