The Matador (2005)

Originally Written

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

It appears since Pierce Brosnan's services were no longer required for James Bond he has dropped out of making decent action adventure films altogether and started on the route of incredibly bad independent films. While the critics and independent film lovers eat these stale excuses for entertainment up, raving them as quality film making, it only takes the eye of an average movie enthusiast to recognize total crap.

Brosnan is Julian Noble, a hired assassin who in his old age is beginning to feel the effects of his horrific job. Booze, drugs and loose women aren't as fulfilling as they used to be and Julian has no home, family or friends to turn to, he's all alone. That is until he runs into Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) a traveling salesman down on his luck. Julian feels an instant connection with him, and Danny is somewhat intrigued by his dangerous job. But Julian is a little too much for Danny to handle and the two part ways, until Julian begins to be unable to successfully complete his missions and becomes a target himself, in which he turns to Danny to help him out of a sticky situation.

If you’re looking for an action packed film look elsewhere, this film is the anti Bond in every way, shape and form. The sequences with Brosnan taking out his targets are not even shown, I guess it cost too much money to actually show a hit scene. The film is touted as a dark comedy, drama and strangely enough crime thriller... instead it's plain boring. The characters are ridiculous, the story itself is absurd and the movie genuinely spends most of the film in meaningless dialogue which goes absolutely nowhere. This film would have had enormous potential had it actually been written as an action film, but as an independent dark dramedy it's only a complete waste of time.

1/10