The Amateur

Mission impossible/James bond esque elements so it's nothing we haven't seen before but it's still very much worth watching, we were thoroughly entertained for the just over 2 hours. I'd give it a 7.5.

I like the angle they went with the tech nerd it made it uniquely interesting instead of the typical assassin killer type. The pacing was good, the events unfolding were logical and also intriguing by showing the CIA capabilities of surveillance and information, the music was awesome along with the cinematics. The acting was pretty standard, nothing to ride home about but some of these reviews are pretty harsh for no good reason.

All in all it's a good movie and worth a theater experience, or just wait till it's on streaming I'll be a great movie for a night in.

"Amateur" starts off feeling pretty standard, but it grows on you. Think early 2000s spy thrillers-nerdier, more grounded, and rough around the edges. It doesn't try to reinvent the genre, but it leans into its simplicity with confidence. The pacing is fine-not too fast, not too slow-and while the story isn't particularly complex, it holds your attention. Rami Malek brings a steady, watchable presence, and the ending wraps things up in a way that feels satisfying.it's a solid, no-frills spy flick. One of those movies you watch without big expectations and walk away pleasantly surprised. Totally worth a shot on a chill night.

I just saw The Amateur and I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a fan of a lot of the non-stop action movies that leave one feeling as if they had been shot out a cannon for 90 minutes, and this movie wasn't like that. There was, I thought, a nice build up that gave you a sense of the character and that he was an unlikely choice as an international assassin. I the thought the use of suspense was good, ratcheting things up as it went along, and I was surprised and intrigued by some of the twists and escapes. I haven't seen a lot of Rami Malek, but I really liked him in this role. I always like Lawrence Fishburn, and he was good, as were a couple of heavies that Charlie outwits in the end. All in all, a good movie, one I was glad to have seen. If they make a sequel, I will likely see that as well.

The ending is true to the character and a risky take, but I like it. This is not main stream Wick a like, It's not steely Bond or muscle Bourne. So I get the lower ratings here. But sometimes expectation can get the best of us.

The character arc is very muted but complete. There maybe a follow-up with ramped up potential, but I hope not. Don't get me wrong, there is car chase, guns going off, and bombs exploding. But in total, the action is maybe around 15min in total. And it's a 2hr movie.

Most of the time it's information that do the talking, especially the beginning. There are lots of hacking going on, details mostly left out. But geeks would love to fill in.

Malik is captivating enough. I was hoping more time with Fisbourne, but cost maybe an issue.

7.25/10 STARS - Saw this was based on a book and now I'm interested to listen to the audiobook (narrated by Scott Brick, who is a fantastic narrator). The movie itself was pretty good, and I enjoyed it. There were some issues here and there with conveniences when it came to his ability to get things done and some moments where suspension of disbelieve was required. Perhaps this was partly because it felt like there was a lot omitted along the way, not clearly showing us how he was able to accomplish what he did. Maybe some more scenes showing him having to figure out how to get to where he needed to be in order to sabotage something would have been good (like in the swimming pool scene). But since this movie was already more than two hours long, I suppose it might be a bit much to show us everything. I liked that we got a good feel for the main characters intense grief over the loss of his wife and his determination to make everyone pay - yet totally out of his element when it came to the brutality of face-to-face killing. Video review will be available on my YouTube channel shortly.