The Gunman (2015)

Sean Penn takes the lead in this truly cliched story with all the predictability of a Scooby Doo cartoon. He is part of a team that is providing security for a company in Africa. Naturally the security is a little more, especially when a hit on a government official is ordered and his team is ordered to perform said duty. Can you see where this is going?

Good, will make this review much easier.

Penn is chosen as the trigger man who takes the kill, leaving behind his love interest, asking his handler, Javier Bardem, to take care of her. Naturally Bardem has the hots for the former girlfriend which proves to be the case when we flash forward to the present time and he is married to her in Spain.

Of course, retribution of the hit must happen, so while working as an aid worker, Penn thwarts a hit on himself doing his best Statham moves with various tools. So the scene is set. He must now figure out who is trying to kill him off, and which one of his earlier tight nit crew has betrayed him.

Ray Winstone pops up as his real best friend as they meet in London. Winstone is doing his best Mickey Rouke impression from The Expendables movies, looking very fat, rough, haggered and completely unfit for the role at hand.

The movie plods along in the usual pace you would expect, complete with usual showdowns with various baddies and of course Bardem as they have that awkward public restaurant meet when he see’s his former girl for the first time.

One of my favourite actors, Idris Elba, pops up over an hour into the movie (even though is given top billing) for a few moments to play basically Interpol’s version of Luther. Great role, but no where near enough screen time to let him truly try to rescue this movie.

Penn has a number of topless scenes, showing just how ripped his 55 year old body is looking and that he too can be an elder action hero like Bruce Willis and Liam Neeson.

The movie just has nothing to offer from the usual script. No new story line, no great action scenes, no unique stunts. This movie only made $10M worldwide against a budget of $40M, so everyone has been saved the embarrassment of a sequel.

If you are truly bored, with nothing else to watch, and you desparately want something new-yet-familiar to watch, then go outside for a walk. If that feeling still persists upon return, then reach for this movie. You won’t be disappointed in your disappointment.