Just in case you aren’t familiar with Maggie Q, The Protégé is a stellar introduction. Kicking ass and taking names as a contract killer, she’s fetching and fierce. Anna (Q) has learned from the best after being found at a young age thirty years ago by Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) – a legendary assassin who becomes a mentor and father figure to her – in Vietnam with no family, a gun in her hand, and a group of dead guys around her. These days, they find bad people who don’t want to be found, and they’re pretty pricey if you’re thinking about hiring them. Though, everything changes when a new contract brings both of their pasts back to haunt them. Anna’s antique bookstore gets shot up and Moody is dead in his bathtub. This is where the cat-and-mouse action thriller kicks into gear with Anna returning to Vietnam to get vengeance.
Michael Keaton plays a fixer named Rembrandt, first meeting Anna in her bookstore and it most definitely wouldn’t be the last time they see each other. He seems to always be in the way of her getting what she wants. Are they lovers? Are they fighters? A lot of both, actually. You can cut the sexual tension between the two with a sharp blade, and you best believe Anna has one. The killer chemistry between Keaton and Q is somewhat shocking, yet what they do with it works wonders as the script from writer Richard Wenk (The Equalizer movies, The Expendables 2) doesn’t assist that much. Still, the action sequences play a huge part in what audiences will revel in. They are grounded in its violence, which makes them that much more exciting to watch. Q is unstoppable, but after who knows how long – Keaton gets rough and makes it look too cool.
The Protégé is the latest from director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), and he brings style, brutality, and even a tad bit of humor to a film that’s familiar within the genre it’s going to war in. Regardless, as far as I am concerned, what he’s done is lay down some must-haves for a knock-down, drag-out flick like this and exceeds expectations in doing so. There’s a couple of twists that come across as unnecessary, as well as Anna’s face-off with the trauma of what happened the night Moody found her not eliciting the emotional response that it’s going for. No sweat. Q and Keaton are ruthless, taking a beating, and dishing them out to get the job done.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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