Assassin (2023)

1 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Hold the Drone

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Bruce Willis's final movie makes good use of him, and it has an interesting story, but it succumbs to its low budget and hits a few too many stumbling blocks, making it a disappointing last hurrah.

A directorial debut by Jesse Atlas, Assassin puts Willis in the role of a crusty ops leader who occasionally snarls an order or a short remark while the others do the real work. At times, he almost seems like his old self, and not the fading figure who was diagnosed with aphasia.

As it begins, soldier Alexa (Nomzamo Mbatha) visits the bedside of her romantic partner Sebastian (Mustafa Shakir), who lies in a mysterious coma. A man named Valmora (Willis), who runs a secret operation that Sebastian was involved in, recruits Alexa to join his team. The op involves technology that allows a person to send their consciousness to the body of another, via a small device (called a "spider") implanted in that person's neck.

If Alexa can retrieve Sebastian's "spider," then there's a chance of bringing him back. Unfortunately, this involves getting close to a dangerous and powerful criminal, Adrian (Dominic Purcell). Alexa's only way in is to borrow the body of a beautiful artist, Mali (Andy Allo), whom Adrian seems to trust.

The sci-fi body-jumping tale may not be 100% original, but it is a strong idea. However, while Assassin seems aware of the cruelty of the situation, it doesn't seem to have enough time or bandwidth to make it emotionally hit home. Moments are sometimes too choppy or ill-timed. For example, in a scene in which two characters are shot and killed in a diner, no reaction shots are shown to express the shock of the situation; it falls flat.

And while the denouncement should have been a powerhouse, it feels more like a head-scratcher. Perhaps a better movie could have been made with more resources, but this one is a disappointment, especially as the farewell vehicle for its star.