Hit List is especially exciting, appealing to the imagination at its heart, prone to the desirable idea of eliminating enemies in real life (see what you wish for). As with all good things, the fantasy eventually turns to terror, as a jocular idea can be terrorized into sleep, a grave death. It’s a brilliant idea, and the lady has a lot of plot development, but the overall execution is flawed. It is almost as if the writers have perceived the stories more than their fair share of good, they are unable to capture it in the way that more skilled filmmakers can. Some perhaps more minds are involved in the various stages of editing.
In Seattle, Washington, professional killer Jonas Arbor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is suddenly struck by a series of traumatic flashbacks, made worse by the fact that he recently discovered his health decreases. Instead of proceeding with the assassins he was assigned to, he turned to vigilantism and struck another target, the show’s controversial host show. Before the details of each are revealed, the opening scene only shows Tree crawling out from under the bed, and the next shot with the agent looking for the hitman gone missing. No action, no explosions, no killings – just man announcing the state of the Black Tree. Then the title cut sequence, complete with James Bond graphics and theme song, also 007-like. – “47 Ways to Die,” by Lillian Axe. It’s incredibly anticlimactic, and one of the worst openings for any action movie.
Immediately the dialogue is generic; but when they begin to collect the cseli, they sing their speeches. Allan Campbell (Cole Hauser) is a Washington D.C. corporate man trying to get ahead, but always behind in money and perspective. His boss lost faith in him; a junior minister stole a promotion; and his wife Sydney (Ginny Weirick) is cheating on him with her best friend. He also has a brand new black eyed from a loan he couldn’t pay. When he stumbles into a bar to drink away his sorrows with Jack Daniels, he spies Tree sitting nearby. Reluctant at first, Jonas decides to engage in a familiar conversation, and in a short time the two old friends are chatting. Arbor reveals himself to be a professional killer, but Campbell laughs at him – although not before writing five names on the napkin. Intended as a joke, Allan is mortified to discover that Arbor is taking five elaborate targets as a favor to his new friend.
The major theme involved Allan standing up for himself and fighting against those who surrounded him. Clearly, Arbor is psychotic and Campbell has just created another relationship that he can’t stand. However, the rogue agent needs help in handling at least one of the targets. Hilariously enough, one of the names on the list is seen dead, but when the body begins to rise again, he realizes the truly horrific nature of his actions. There is no doubt that he was fully aware of the murder. His first target is his boss Fred Gates (Rich Cowan); her second competition is newcomer Brian Felzner (Sean Cook); the third is a humble barbarian with money from Dom Estacado (Brandon O’Neill); the fourth, his best friend Mike Dodd (Drew Waters); and the last, most serious blow is his wife – the other person will sacrifice what she protects. When people are sent to the list quickly, the government employing agency Tree is hot on the track with the site. authorities
The premise is intense and creative, along with a few action shots. The Hit List is really an exercise in creating a strong villain, and yet Cuba Gooding Jr. indeed rose to the occasion (he even got his own catchphrase). It’s not the greatest comic ever, but the Terminator franchise and merciless assassins are more than enough. By the end, the Assault on Precinct 13 mission is set up, and Gooding remains a viable psycho. The conclusion itself could use some polishing, with plenty of supporting dialogue, character and cinematography, but Gooding doesn’t disappoint. Hit List had more potential than it knew how to handle, from a film that could have used more seasoning than a solid remake.
– Mike Massie
