The Killer’s Game is very proud of its hyper-stylized action, though perhaps its reach is beyond its grasp. It’s very proud of its wacky characters but it feels like it’s trying too hard. It’s excited to be funny, but it can be a bit cringe instead. There’s a lot of things it wants to be but it’s really not quite ready for primetime on any of them.

It stars Dave Bautista as the most respected hitman among the many, many hit people in Europe. He’s feeling his age and, after a misunderstanding, finds himself the target of all the assassins… each with a wild and crazy personality of their own.

The heavy stylization in the filmmaking and the action can be pretty good… and can be a little much. Some of the hits and explosions and gunshots show high energy and can be pretty good fun. Unfortunately, it’s the kind of action movie featuring invincible people who never get their bell rung and can monster their way through any predicament. It keeps me at arm’s length and growing bored with the umpteenth fight scene. But that’s my limitation as an action fan… I need people to take the hits and not just be perfect.

The film also stars the lovely Sophia Boutella as a ballerina dating Bautista’s hitman, though of course she doesn’t know about his day job (which happens a lot in movies lately). But she actually gets a little to do romantically and comedically so I welcomed her inclusion.

Some of the colorful hired killers can be amusing… Terry Crews as a ladies’ man killer is fun, but his cringe hip hip wannabe assistant killer doesn’t really work. There’s a couple of Scottish blokes who get amusing translated from their brogues to more polite English… it’s a fun gimmick but also a kind of “so what” since they are just another in a line of killers. And that’s the way of the extras and side characters… some good ideas, some bad ideas, and never as clever as they think.

I had a reasonably fun time and actually kind of liked Bautista and Boutella (not the first take-away I’d have expected). They aren’t great but there’s some fun to be had… which is basically the description of this kind of generic attempt at an action franchise starter kit. Not so bad, not so good either. Will probably satisfy action junkies.

Score: 78