El maestro del crimen

Let's face it, the hitman mobster genre was done to death long ago, rejuvenated only by a clever twist here and there. The old guy mentor twist is fine, if done right, but here it's not even close. Chris Waltz looks cringingly old, mainly in his movements, Lucy liu give another non performance, whilst the young sidekick at least has something about him that's fresh and comedic. All the other characters are truly forgettable, a mandatory baddy is'nt even written in.

Production, soundtrack, editing is left waiting for a decent cast and a workable script , none of which are delivered unfortunately.

Give this one a run out, but then retire it to the back shelf.

In light British mob dramatic-thriller "Old Guy" the London firm of implausibly young-at-heart titular hit-man Christoph Waltz prepares him for retirement by having him oversee / train young new-age upcoming killer Cooper Hoffman (good) on a 'suicide mission' to Belfast - on which Waltz takes along old friend Lucy Liu (also good). Experienced director Simon West aims for an "In Bruges" feel but Greg Johnson's second screenplay (after the decent "The Last Son") gives it no chance of hitting such heights. Not funny enough to be a comedy, but too silly to be a tense thriller, it falls between the two genres rather than rising as a crossover. Passably entertaining - no more.

Old Guy is a comedic reworking of The Mechanic, the 1970s thriller that starred Charles Bronson.

Christoph Waltz is the ageing hitman Danny Dolinski. He still goes clubbing but has an arthritic hand. It means he cannot shoot straight.

His shadowy bosses are modernising. Out go the old timers. In come the young whippersnappers.

Danny has to train the Gen Z new blood, Wihlborg (Cooper Hoffman) who is still wet behind the ears and needs to learn the craft of being a hitman.

They are tasked to kill an Irish mobster, but the job goes south. Now they are the target.

This is a generic comedy thriller that has been done to death in the last few years. The screenplay is anaemic. It wastes the talented cast which includes Lucy Liu who really does not have much to do.

The only interesting thing about this movie is the sheer number of people with producer credits.

When I read the synopsis, I thought that this could be a hidden gem even though the rating wasn't too high. So I gave it a try. But, boy! Do I regret watching it. The comedic part wasn't doing it for me. I don't get any laugh from watching this movie, at all. Actually, I think that the heaviest part of this movie isn't action nor comedy, it's drama. The plot is very straightforward with minimum plot twist. So no heavy thinking needed when watching it. And although the acting was decent, I couldn't help but yawning the entire time I watched this movie. It's so dull and unsatisfying, there's no joy that I get after watching it. So if you have other movies lining up in your watch list, I suggest you skip this one. Not worth your time.

Yes, the movie follows a familiar formula, one of those films where you find yourself thinking, I've seen so many like this. I agree that it doesn't break new ground or brining something new and similar other movies exist, but there's a catch.

Despite its simplicity, the movie is enjoyable. At the end of the day, it serves its purpose well, that is entertainment.

What makes it stand out? The exceptional acting skills of Christoph Waltz. His performance adds an extra flavour to the old recipe, making it better the film above many others currently being released.

A good popcorn watch, so just do.