Hitman: Agent 47 is a reboot of Xavier Genss Hitman, the 2007 movie that starred Timothy Olyphant as a bald gun-for-hire on the run from the Russian military. It was based on a video game series developed by IO Interactive, so expectations were understandably low. Gens complained that the studio wasnt interested in his original ideas and just wanted a movie in the Jason Bourne mould, which is ironic as Agent 47s trailer made it clear that Fox were targeting a new audience - the comic book fans. Theres a genetically engineered hero (played by Homelands Rupert Friend) whos capable of taking out his adversaries with bombs, helicopters and some astonishingly athletic gunplay and.well, lets not get bogged down in plot. When it comes to movies about killers with abnormal speed, intelligence and strength, Wanted did that whole yarn back in 2008, so were sure the casting of Thomas Kretschmann (who played James McAvoys father in that film) as one of Agent 47s villains is just a coincidence.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
