Heart of Stone

The concept of the movie is actually kind of interesting. This whole heart thing catched me definitely. But besides that and a few nice action scenes the movie wasn't that good.

I'm sorry if I say this but Gal Gadot isn't Tom Cruise. CGI Stunts especially bad made CGI stunts look so much worse than real stunts and this is a huge problem when one of the best action spy movies with some of the most impressive stunts ever made, MI 7, is running in cinemas at the same time. Really bad timing. This movies isn't anywhere as good as MI 7 but maybe I expected a little too much.

Also I rarely watched a movie where the music annoyed me but this one manages it. The Music ruins so much scenes.

If this movie was really thought to be the beginning of an entire franchise Netflix should have put some more effort into it, but at the end the real factor that decides if there will be more movies is the money not the quality, sadly.

This was quite infuriating, decent cast and action sequences, but such an awful, boring convoluted script full of cliches and total lack of believable characters. It feels like nobody did any audience testing or editing, a lot like Sentinel (ok that was a show) another soulless action movie that is like a B movie from the video store but with a real budget and people you have heard of. Don't really get what Netflix is doing, for all this money couldn't they have spent some on a decent writer? Was this written by AI? Gal Gadot was great and did a good job, Jamie Dorman is as boring as in everything else so at least he is consistent.

The MI6 team formed by Parker (Jamie Dornan), Yang (Jing Lusi), Bailey (Paul Ready) and Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) are chasing the dangerous arms dealer Mulvaney (Enzo Cilenti) in the Italian Alps. There is an incident with the Internet and Rachel, who is a hacker that works in the van to give support to the agents and not a field agent, needs to go inside the casino where Mulvaney is to access the security system. They intend to fake a heart attack in Mulvaney to extract him from his men, but things go wrong when the hacker Keya Dhawan (Alia Bhatt) infiltrates in their communication. Rachel Stone, who is secretly a Charter agent, helps Parker to be safe from Mulvany's men, and the dealer commits suicide with cyanide. Charter is an independent agency that has the powerful computer The Heart that is capable to hack any system and the agency keeps the world in balance with The Heart and their agents. Then the MI6 assign the team to go to Lisbon to capture Keya, but the team is attacked by several agents. Stone is forced to disclose her skills to save her friends when out of the blue, Parker kills Yang and Bailey. He drugs Rachel and tells that he wants The Heart, and she faints. Now she is recovered by the Charter with a Trojan implanted in her arm to access The Heart. Soon they learn the danger that Parker and Keya are to the Charter.

"Heart of Stone" is a spy movie that is a 007 wannabe with a powerful woman instead of a male agent in the lead role, presently the standard followed by Netflix. The screenplay is not good, and the plot begins without any explanation of what is the Charter or The Heart. The agency and the super-computer are developed later, but without explanation of how or by who the agency is maintained. The gorgeous Gal Gadot has good performance in the role of the agent Rachel Stone, but Keya Dhawan is a confused character. The villain Parker is also respectful, and the movie entertains in the end. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Agente Stone" ("Stone Agent")

What happened to kicking back on a Friday night, with a cold drink and a big back of crisps and just enjoying the ride.

As somebody else mentioned, it is a bit like mission impossible on a smaller budget. Still plenty of action, one or two surprises and a feel good factor.

Will people just please stop whinging about every single film ever made and just enjoy them for what they are.....entertainment I thought the film was fun and I enjoyed it......the stunts and CGI on their own made it worth watching.

The characters were good and it left the viewer on a high ready for a sequel.....provided all the negative reviews don't kill it stone dead

Raise a cold beer to this one and enjoy it.

Heart of Stone endeavors to weave a tale of espionage and intrigue. While the concept holds promise, the execution stumbles along the way, leaving us with a film that struggles to rise above mediocrity.

Gal Gadot's presence is a highlight. Her portrayal of Rachel Stone is a reminder of her talent although not the best of her work. The narrative fails to offer her character the depth it deserves, leaving her journey feeling somewhat hollow.

The supporting cast, including Jamie Dornan as Parker, lends credibility to the espionage world, but their potential remains untapped due to a lackluster script. Alia Bhatt's Keya Dhawan, unfortunately, falls flat, failing to convince as a character integral to the plot's twists and turns.

It attempts to inject adrenaline through its action sequences, yet they often fall short of delivering the desired impact. These sequences are marred by predictability and a lack of innovation, leaving us craving more visceral thrills. The film leans heavily on familiar tropes, making it challenging to ignore the sense of déjà vu.

The plot's potential to explore the complexities of global peacekeeping agencies and high-stakes hacking is overshadowed by its generic execution. The narrative meanders, and its attempts at suspense feel forced rather than organic. This is evident in the various missteps and inconsistencies that punctuate the story, pulling the viewer out of their engagement with the film.

While the film's pacing isn't entirely sluggish, it struggles to maintain a consistent rhythm. Moments that should be rife with tension and intrigue fall flat due to lackluster direction and pacing choices. The movie's resolution, while attempting to tie loose ends, feels rushed and unsatisfying.

It finds itself lost in the labyrinth of its own ambitions. It aspires to be a thrilling espionage escapade, yet it ends up as a forgettable entry in the genre. Given the wealth of similar offerings available, from Atomic Blonde to Salt, this film falls short of leaving a lasting impact.

In the grand scheme of cinematic experiences, Heart of Stone lands as a middle-of-the-road endeavor. With its mix of competent performances and lackluster execution, it's likely to leave viewers with a sense of missed potential and a longing for a more gripping tale of espionage.