Agent Game Review: This Mel Gibson starrer is boring and forgettable

1.5/5

Story: CIA officers Harris, Bill, and Visser detain and interrogate a man named Omar to uncover his links with terrorists. However, Omar and Bill are killed, and Harris is made a scapegoat for the murders. Meanwhile, three newly recruited agents are assigned a daunting task.

Review: In the opening scene of the movie Agent Game, Mel Gibson takes out his gun, fires a few shots, dials his phone, and says, “We have a problem”. If you thought this would lead up to something interesting, you would be wrong. Because by the end of the film, we are left to wonder why Gibson, the actor who played memorable characters in the action film series Mad Max and Lethal Weapon, decided to sign up for this film, a film that lacks action or thrill, even though it is touted to be an action thriller.

Gibson plays intelligence officer Olsen in the film directed by Grant S Johnson. After the opening scene, the narrative takes us to Antwerp, Belgium, where three newly recruited operatives, Kavinsky, Reese, and Miller, chase down a man and hold him captive. The identity of the man is revealed later in the film.

Elsewhere, CIA officers Harris, Bill, and Visser detain a person named Omar and accuse him of having ties with terrorists. While Harris and his senior Bill do not ignore the possibility that Omar might be innocent, Visser believes that he is hiding something. All three of them report to Olsen. However, the interrogation takes a dark turn when Omar and Bill are killed. When he finds his senior dead, Harris escapes the scene but Visser tries to track him down. The connection between the three settings, the characters, their motives, and the mastermind behind it all is revealed in the second half of the film, which does not come as a surprise.

The major drawback of the film is its screenplay written by Mike Langer and Tyler W Kinney, who is also the producer of the film. The screenplay adopts a non-linear narrative, and the continuous looping back and forth leaves us confused. It takes a while to make sense of what’s happening on-screen. But by that time, we are fatigued and frustrated. The story offers very little to keep us engaged till the end. It lacks clarity and the screenwriters have spent no effort in developing the characters. The dialogues are dull and uninspired too.

The action sequences in the film are mediocre, generic, and lack the thrill factor. The makers could have at least paid some attention to that aspect, especially since they are calling it an action film. Mel Gibson and Dermot Mulroney deliver decent performances as the dubious officer Olsen and CIA operative Harris, respectively. Although he appears only for a few minutes, Barkhad Abdi does his part well. Adan Canto, Katie Cassidy, Jason Isaacs, Rhys Coiro, and Annie Ilonzeh essay other pivotal roles in the film.

Verdict: Many of the shortcomings of the film could have been overcome by an engaging screenplay and well-fleshed-out characters. The climax of the film hints at the possibility of a sequel. There is no confirmation on that front, but this one is avoidable.