Two time Oscar winner, with a Golden Globe under his belt, and a Palme d'Or nomination as well, Sean Penn's next career move? Starring in the kind of movie we'd expect from Liam Neeson. Indeed, "The Gunman" is directed by Pierre Morel who helmed the original "Taken," and so no surprise, a lot of that DNA is found in this film that is shockingly not produced by Luc Besson (Joel Silver gets those honors).
Anyway, the bonafides of this one are somewhat better. Firstly, it's based on a book so perhaps there's a bit more thematic depth, and the cast has guys like Javier Bardem, Idris Elba, and Ray Winstone, chewing the grizzled scenery along with Penn. But the story? You've probably heard it before. A former military operative has some dangerous information, some people want him dead, and he must engage his use of special skills to survive. Again, it's not exactly rocket science, but maybe the cast and international setting will make this slightly above...
