Movies News Talk
Although not meant to be a Hitman adaptation, Jason Statham's 2016 sequel, Mechanic: Resurrection, shockingly better than the two official Hitman movies in capturing the core of the popular video game series. This surprising link exposes a lost chance for the Hitman series and emphasizes the aspects that improve Agent 47's world portrayal by Mechanic: Resurrection.
Both Mechanic: Resurrection and the Hitman video games have a bald, legendary assassin that specializes in making their murders seem as mishaps. Several scenes in the movie, including one where Bishop breaks the glass bottom of a target's swimming pool by trespassing into a high-rise, could have been straight from the game. This originality in performance, evocative of the Hitman series, highlights the unexpected link of the movie to the game.
Both Mechanic: Resurrection and the Hitman games let you choose between aggressive and subdued strategies. Like Agent 47, Bishop can choose to be sly and understated or to employ brute force when called for. This dynamic approach to finishing tasks, combining stealth with action, speaks to the Hitman experience and distinguishes Mechanic: Resurrection from the more direct Relic films.
Though profitable, the two Hitman movies—starring Timothy Olyphant and Rupert Friend—failed to really capture the spirit of the video game. Both movies strayed from the main ideas of the game, which made the characters more emotional and mostly dependent on too extravagant action scenes. These deviations left viewers let down since they deprived the movies of the subtle, strategic approach that defines the Hitman experience.
Starring Timothy Olyphant, the first Hitman film followed a more traditional action thriller with Agent 47 having a love interest. This shift changed the character's mystique greatly and combined with the lack of attention on creative assassinations, Though it aimed to be more in line with the tone of the game, the sequel, Hitman: Agent 47, finally fell short, emphasizing bombastic action rather than careful preparation.
Fascinatingly, Jason Statham first came under consideration for Agent 47 in the 2007 Hitman movie. He turned down the job, though, presumably because he felt the character resembled Frank Martin from The Transporter series too closely. Although the two characters have similarities, their approaches to missions and professional codes suggest that the decision might have resulted from other elements like scheduling conflicts or a wish to investigate other characters, so implying different reasons for the decision.
Though not a straight adaptation, Mechanic: Resurrection is a useful guide for a great Hitman film. The emphasis of the movie on complex assassinations, strategic planning, and a mix of stealth and action fits exactly the attitude of the game. Mechanic: Resurrection shows that a convincing Relic adaptation is feasible, needing a director who is familiar with Agent 47's persona's subtleties as well as the main game mechanics.
The fate of the Hitman movie series is yet unknown; a third adaptation effort is still under development. Fans hope that a future Hitman film will embrace the elements that make Mechanic: Resurrection an unexpected success, so bringing Agent 47's world to the big screen in a way that really honors the legacy of the game, learning from the mistakes of its predecessors.