Since the “Jason Bourne” series of movies proved to be very popular with movie-goers, Hollywood has churned out a number of high-profile espionage thrillers focusing on young protagonists caught in a web of intrigue.
The movie “American Assassin” is based on the Mitch Rapp "political thrillers" written by the late Vince Flynn. Flynn (a Minnesota native) died from prostate cancer in 2013.
If you aren't familiar with Flynn's writing, his novels serve as the blueprint for the "post-Tom Clancy" era of espionage novels -- fast-paced, easy-to-read thrillers that lacked the subtlety of Clancy and Ludlum in their heyday, but were a perfect elixer for an anxious post-9/11 world.
In my humble opinion, the Kiefer Sutherland vehicle “24” was basically a Vince Flynn novel come to life (in fact, Flynn himself was a consultant on the fifth season of that television series), and the character of Jack Bauer shares a number of similarites with Mitch Rapp.
It was only a matter of time before Mitch Rapp came to the big screen. There were a number of attempts to bring Flynn's series to cinemas (Chris Hemsworth was originally offered the role of Rapp), but there were mistarts and redirections along the way.
CBS Films finally brings us "American Assassin." The movie is loosely based on Flynn's 2010 "prequel" novel of the same name.
The story follows the rise of Mitch Rapp from unassuming college student to one of the top U.S. assassin/counter-espionage operatives.
When the movie begins we see Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) vacationing at a resort in Spain, proposing to his girlfried Katrina (Charlotte Vega). Before the two are able to celebrate this defining moment, a group of terrorists (led by a man named Al-Mansur) attack the beach, AK-47s tearing apart the unwary vacationers.
Rapp's girlfriend dies in the melee, which sets the college-age Rapp on the path toward becoming America's most effective (and unassuming) assassin.
Fans will note that this bit of Rapp backstory is a departure from Flynn's novels. In the books, Rapp's girlfriend is killed in the 1988 Pan Am Lockerbie bombing. Filmmakers obviously wanted to update things for the current generation, and I had no problem with that as a viewer.
The movie then moves forward a year-and-a-half to find Rapp eschewing his studies at Brown University (he played lacrosse at Syracuse in the novels) and logging hours at MMA gyms and gun ranges, while also practicing throwing knives against a wall in his apartment in Providence, RI — building his mental and physical stature into that of an all-out badass.
Naturally, this gets the attention of the CIA — especially a deputy director there named Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan). The organization keeps tabs on the upstart Rapp, and eventually recruits him (after rescuing him from Al-Mansur's organization).
What then unfolds is a more "official" development and training regimen with the surly Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) — who is sort of a cross between Yoda in “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back” and Mickey in “Rocky.” Hurley trains black ops personnel at a remote, rural facility, and uses unorthodox methods to test the pool of recruits.
The movie then jumps overseas for a pretty intriguing (if not altogether unpredictable) story about black market plutonium and a nuclear trigger.
The one thing I can say for “American Assassin” is that the story never lags. Director Michael Cuesta (a relative unknown who directed the pilot episode of the Showtime series “Homeland”) keeps things moving along at a brisk pace.
As a result, the character development in the film is adequate, but never gets bogged down in lengthy exposition. Some new fans might be disappointed in that aspect of the narrative, but I wasn't bothered by it (especially considering the fact that we're dealing with a 2-hour movie, not a 10-episode television series).
Dylan O'Brien does a solid job becoming the embodiment of Mitch Rapp on the silver screen. I've been reading the Flynn's novels for a little over a decade now, and (as you can imagine) I have a fairly well-defined image of Rapp in my mind's eye.
I suppose the main question is whether or not O'Brien meets that expectation.
As far as I am concerned, O'Brien fits the role of an “athletic and unassuming college student turned assassin” much better than Tom Cruise fit the role of a sandy-haired, 6-foot-plus Jack Reacher (in the movies based on Lee Child's novels).
Not only that, O'Brien simply “looks different” than many of the young actors brought in for this type of role in Hollywood today. “American Assassin” benefits from the fact that he looks like the sort of unkempt young man who can navigate in worlds where a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, ex-military operative might stick out like a sore thumb. That's the vibe of the character Vince Flynn created, and O'Brien seems up to the task of that role.
Viewers should take note that the film is bloody, violent, and pulls very few punches. Fans of the novels know that “enhanced interrogation” is something featured in Flynn's books (especially later entries in the series), and there are a couple of uncomfortable moments of torture in the movie.
Flynn wrote another "prequel" story about Mitch Rapp called “Kill Shot” back in 2012. Some fans have speculated that they'll do that story if a sequel to “American Assassin” is made.
Personally speaking, I'd rather they adapt one of the other Rapp novels (like the terrific “Consent to Kill”) because I think some of the other entries better embody the strength of Flynn's series.
Of course, filmmakers these days are willing to stray from source material (as was the case with “American Assassin”), so my feelings might be a moot point anyway.
“American Assassin” might not navigate the most original territory when it comes to recent espionage stories put to film, but its driving pace, macho bravado, and solid performances make it well worth your time.
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