Hitman Mike (James Marsden) is having an affair with loanshark Nick’s (Vince Vaughn) wife Alice (Eiza González).
Disenchanted with his job, Mike is keen for a way out.
When Nick gives him a job to chloroform someone, he sees it as yet another grubby assignment. His view changes when his target turns out to be Nick.
It turns out the Nick who enlisted him for this job is from the future, and kidnapping his younger self is key to preventing a series of events which previously ended in Mike’s death.
With his ally and enemy the same person, Mike is in a race against time to change the future…
This movie is an embarrassment of riches: a good cast, a fun premise and some clever action.
I left this viewing liking it, but not in love. I think it comes down to tone.
This movie is aiming for the self-awareness of nineties genre films. Characters have conversations based on pop culture references (the key touchstone here is Gilmore GIrls). I have not heard this kind of banter in awhile.
My mileage for this pseudo-meta-textualism has declined so that aspect of the film was a bit of a hard swallow - at least at first.
Once the movie got underway, I got into it. Vaugn and Marsden are an effective pairing, and an effective trio with Eiza González.
The setpieces are imaginatively staged, with some welcome comedic touches. And the film is packed with needle drops, which are effective.
A fine genre piece.
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