Wild Target
Action-crime-comedy about a middle-aged assassin who trying to give up the game.
Victor (Bill Nighy) is a most respected assassin and also the most expensive, carrying on the family business extablished by his grandfather. Problem is, it's not a job where you tend to meet the right girl. So his domineering mother grows increasingly worried that an heir to the family business won't eventuate.
By contrast, Rose (Emily Blunt) is a free spirit, a gleeful, joyous thief. When Victor finds her as his target, but then becomes drawn to her, he spares her life, only to unexpectedly aquire in the process a young apprentice, Tony (Rupert Grint).
- Director:
- Jonathan Lynn ('The Whole Nine Yards', 'Sgt. Bilko', 'Nuns on the Run')
- Writer:
- Lucinda CoxonPierre Salvadori
- Cast:
- Bill NighyEmily BluntRupert GrintRupert EverettEileen AtkinsMartin Freeman
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Andreas Heinemann
flicksAdapted from an old French farce but played in a way that is quintessentially British, Wild Target probably shouldn’t work given the two differing comedy styles it blends together. While this fusion isn’t entirely pitch perfect, for the most part it succeeds in being a funny and entertaining black comedy.
Watchable
Much like the popcorn I was eating, the first 20 minutes are extremely enjoyable. However, halfway through, the whole thing grows hollow and by the end, it leaves you with a stale taste in your mouth. Subplots that go nowhere, annoying character arcs and some obvious plot holes weaken the film, though it’s never insulting and its quirky humour does hit more...
Remake lacks chemistry compared with the original French movie.
This is a remake of the 1993 French movie titled "Cible Emouvante" (rated 7/10 on IMDb) with deadpan actor Jean Rochefort, Guillaume Depardieu and Marie Trintignan. I found the French trio and more particularly the relationship between the professional assassin Jean Rochefort and his control freak of a mother was absolutely hilarious. The three main...
Variety
pressNearly every element here is wildly off-target, from Jonathan Lynn's ("The Whole Nine Yards") lazy helming and Lucinda Coxon's shambolic script to the embarrassed-looking perfs from usually excellent lead thesps Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt.
The New York Times
pressThe considerable wit, style, and skill that Mr. Nighy and Ms. Blunt bring to the project are squandered.
Los Angeles Times
pressThe considerable wit, style, and skill that Mr. Nighy and Ms. Blunt bring to the project are squandered.
Hollywood Reporter
pressJonathan Lynn's lamentable black comedy Wild Target again shows that attractive and charismatic actors can do nothing to save a movie that's charmless, pointless and witless.
Empire Magazine
pressA talented cast keep some low-key action and tired gags from derailing this disappointing farce.
Flicks, Andreas Heinemann
flicksAdapted from an old French farce but played in a way that is quintessentially British, Wild Target probably shouldn’t work given the two differing comedy styles it blends together. While this fusion isn’t entirely pitch perfect, for the most part it succeeds in being a funny and entertaining black comedy.
Variety
pressNearly every element here is wildly off-target, from Jonathan Lynn's ("The Whole Nine Yards") lazy helming and Lucinda Coxon's shambolic script to the embarrassed-looking perfs from usually excellent lead thesps Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt.
The New York Times
pressThe considerable wit, style, and skill that Mr. Nighy and Ms. Blunt bring to the project are squandered.
Los Angeles Times
pressThe considerable wit, style, and skill that Mr. Nighy and Ms. Blunt bring to the project are squandered.
Hollywood Reporter
pressJonathan Lynn's lamentable black comedy Wild Target again shows that attractive and charismatic actors can do nothing to save a movie that's charmless, pointless and witless.
Empire Magazine
pressA talented cast keep some low-key action and tired gags from derailing this disappointing farce.
Watchable
Much like the popcorn I was eating, the first 20 minutes are extremely enjoyable. However, halfway through, the whole thing grows hollow and by the end, it leaves you with a stale taste in your mouth. Subplots that go nowhere, annoying character arcs and some obvious plot holes weaken the film, though it’s never insulting and its quirky humour does hit...
Remake lacks chemistry compared with the original French movie.
This is a remake of the 1993 French movie titled "Cible Emouvante" (rated 7/10 on IMDb) with deadpan actor Jean Rochefort, Guillaume Depardieu and Marie Trintignan. I found the French trio and more particularly the relationship between the professional assassin Jean Rochefort and his control freak of a mother was absolutely hilarious. The three main...
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