If you’ve played any of the Hitman games, then you know that Agent 47 is no role model. As a matter of fact critics have referred to the Hitman series of games as “murder simulators”. The Hitman, AKA Agent 47 goes about his business in a dark world without regard for the law or morality, and the game encourages strangling victims over using guns, for instance. Although well-adjusted adults can obviously play through the games without becoming sociopaths themselves, of course…
But with the game’s premise, you would think that no movie studio would dare turn the games into a movie, considering how touchy the subject matter is. But 2007 saw the release of a Hitman movie that, contrary to popular belief, did quite well at the box office and as a matter of fact it is one of the highest grossing video game movies to date. So it is not surprising that Twentieth Century Fox plans to release another Hitman movie this August. Titled Hitman: Agent 47, the movie sees the return of the genetically-engineered and cold blooded assassin Agent 47, who this time will be played by Rupert Friend.
But the movie’s latest trailer, which you can watch above, did not cause a good impression. At the start of the trailer, Rupert Friend’s Agent 47 is being interrogated by cops about his identity and motives, and his portrayal of Agent 47 does not feel right. He lacks the charm and wit of Timothy Olyphant’s Agent 47, whose relaxed chemistry with sexy actress Olga Kurylenko made the 2007 movie a winner. As a matter of fact Rupert Friend’s character feels more like a villain, someone whom audiences will have a hard time connecting with. At least Timothy Olyphant’s Agent 47, although never a “good guy” had enough humanity in him to make audiences root for the character, after all at some point in the movie he says that being a hitman, although obviously unethical, is “what he does”.
But still, the trailer shows that this new Hitman movie will offer plenty of good set pieces (obviously inspired by the Matrix movies, like in the previous film).
And the presence of Zachary Quinto, who caused a great impression as Spock in the Star Trek movies, is definitely a plus.
As a side note, isn’t it comical that the authorities have such a hard time tracking Agent 47? After all, his group of genetically-engineered killers all have barcodes tattooed on their necks, shave their heads and wear suits. You would have thought they would have gotten up to speed by now.
Note: Hitman: Agent 47 will be released on August 28, 2015 in the US and the UK.