The Hit List

I don't think it's a spoiler to say this film has a great deal to do with Collateral. Unfortunately, I think that perhaps the distributors also felt the same way, to the point of rejecting the film for fear of some kind of backlash. Although superficially it does share much with Collateral, it goes its own way, and has its own conclusion. And it's a good one. It may not be the most high- budget movie, and it may not be the best edited movie, but it does deliver better than most efforts seen lately, even in the big-budget category. Cuba may have a new career here as an Ice-T reminiscent bad-ass. Worth a matinée ticket.

For what it is, 8/10.

Just a few weeks after picking up Gooding's last film "Sacrifice", "The Hit List" was released. I picked it up because I am a pretty big fan of his. The film turned out to be pretty well done for a DTV thriller but just like "Sacrifice" it has it's flaws.

Jonas Arbor(Gooding) is a hit man and decides to go rouge. His reason unfolds throughout the movie but in doing this he runs into Allen(Cole Hauser) in a bar. Allen is having his own bad day by losing his promotion to a younger partner in his film and problems with his wife come to surface. Arbor and Allen meet in a bar and get drunk together. Jonas explains to Allen that he is a hit man and will kill five people for Allen free of charge. Thinking it is a joke Allen writes down names and laughs it off. It isn't long before he realizes its a joke and has to stop Jonas from completing the list.

The film has been compared to "Collateral" and while it is a fair comparison, the film does stand on its own. Its flaws lie in editing and lack of budget which is the same thing "Sacrifice" suffered from. The opening credits are done in almost a comedic or even a James Bond type of way and really turns the viewer away from what the tone is trying to be. The budget shows in the camera set ups and how rarely other angles are used. The DP obviously did not have the time or money to make the film look bigger. There is a car chase in the film that could have been much more exciting if the editing was better. All in all what saves the film is the performances by Hauser and Gooding. They do not play down to the budget level and they treat the film as if it is a big budget hit. Gooding assures the audience that he has still got it and reminds us of why he is capable of an award winning performance. He is deep and scary and really gets into the role more than he has in the last few years. The quality lies in the performances which is why this is an above average DTV Thriller.

Acting 9/10

Editing 5/10

Music 5/10

Directing 7/10

Fans of Gooding and Hauser should be pleased with this film.

I've come to the conclusion that Cuba Gooding Jr. has accepted his downfall to direct-to-DVD movies, because he doesn't seem to be trying to pick good projects anymore, including this one. In fairness, this project isn't as bad as some of his other turkeys. For a low budget direct-to-DVD project, the production values are okay, though there are signs of cost-cutting throughout (such as a number of close-ups and very few wide shots). The police in this movie don't come across as dumb as they do in other B movies, and the movie did interest me enough to wonder how the situation would be wrapped up in the end - though honestly, it wasn't worth the wait. The screenplay has a number of other problems, with some decisions by the hero to be so idiotic that I was groaning out loud, and some implausibilities by others that make no sense when you think about them closely. (For example, think about the way Gooding's character kills the second person on the list.) Gooding is simply unconvincing as a ruthless hit-man, and Hauser has to somehow make his stupid and spineless character sympathetic, which sees far beyond his abilities. If you ask me, more thought and planning went into the fancy opening credits sequence than with the rest of the movie.

Cole Hauser is in a bar drinking. He's seated next to Cuba Gooding Jr. Gooding claims he is a hit man, and offers to kill five people for Hauser. Thinking this is nonsense, Hauser writes down his top five picks. Gooding proceeds to kill them.

You'd expect this to be a nothing film. It's surprisingly good, in no small part due to Gooding's performance as a creaky-voiced maniac fixated on Hauser, trying to teach him some sort of weird life lesson. Don't talk to strangers? Don't make wishes that other people would be dead? Take some responsibility for your life? It's not clear. Probably the writers didn't really care; Gooding's role is to be the Terminator and die. Whatever Gooding does to make us think there's some motivation behind his actions is good acting.

Allen (Campbell) doesn't believe that Jonas (Gooding, Jr) is a hit man. So Jonas tells Allen to write 5-names on a list of those he wishes dead. He does this and soon realizes he made a very big mistake.

I don't understand why Cuba Gooding Jr goes for these dark, really dark stories, but it's been that way since he was in Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men and Men of Honor. Now, some may ask why I seem to be attracted to these dark movies. Good point. I like Hit Man movies, but was not prepared for this one (who is?) and also, there is nothing else out there at this time. Also, the holidays put all my TV shows into re-runs and what's a person to do?

But, Gooding is always excellent and yes, of Oscar caliber, but these dark movies won't get him to any Oscar nomination, in my opinion. It is what it is and we have to deal with it (if we watch).

This turns into a thriller frenzy as Allen tries to stop Jonas from completing the list. Good action stunts and perhaps some CGI, but that was difficult to tell. The acting by all is very good, the story is certainly different, and you won't be bored. Rating 6/10.

Violence: Yes. Sex: No, we see a make-out session that was supposed to lead to Sex, but……. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.