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Killshot is one of those films that should have been bigger than it was. A series of reshoots, production delays, and release date pushbacks robbed this film of any momentum that it had, creating a film that won’t do as well as it should… even though it’s actually a decent flick with plenty of solid performances. While it definitely feels like A History of Violence knockoff, without the great direction of Cronenberg, there is enough good shit in this thriller to keep most movie fans happy.

In Killshot, we are introduced to the enigmatic character of The Blackbird (Mickey Rourke), a psychotic Native American assassin capable of ruthless murder. The Blackbird hooks up with a young punk named Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a quick-tempered simpleton who reminds The Blackbird a lot of his dead younger brother. The Blackbird takes Nix under his wing and they set about committing some crimes. One of these crimes goes wrong, and a married couple on the rocks prevents the pair from making a big score. In the process, the married couple sees The Blackbird’s face… and become targets for the assassin.

Though solid in execution and storytelling, Killshot lacks the consistency to make it a great film. Much of the fault lies in the direction of John Madden (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Shakespeare in Love), and his inability to keep the film tight shows in the third act as it falls apart just enough to keep the film from being great. The pacing slows down, and the shot selection is less than inspiring… but the first hour of the film is top notch. Even the end of the movie feels slapped together, as if everyone knew this film was going to be delayed and delayed until it wound up in the crapper.

The cast of the film is excellent on paper, and while everyone here gives a solid performance, some of the actors and actresses aren’t at the top of their game. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Sin City) makes the film with a performance that echoes Javier Bardem’s crazy hitman performance in No Country for Old Men. Rourke is menacing and weird looking enough to bring a true sense of menace to the screen. While The Blackbird doesn’t have all that many lines, Rourke does a fantastic job of making each scene he is in meaningful with looks and tension. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, The Lookout) is perfect as Richie Nix. Gordon-Levitt’s turns the Nix character into that dreaded combination of youth and danger… and yet he still manages to be slightly charming, until the latter parts of the film. Thomas Jane (The Mist, The Punisher) and Diane Lane (Untraceable, The Outsiders) are serviceable as the married couple in the film, but their characters simply aren’t that interesting, and many of the scenes within the movie distract the viewer from what they really want to see… which is Rourke being a spooky fuck some more.

As far as thriller’s go, Killshot is above average, has some great characters, but lacks a consistency to put it up there with flicks like No Country for Old Men or A History of Violence… it’s still pretty damn cool though. This movie is worth seeing for Mickey Rourke alone, but performances by Levitt and Hal Holbrook, in a very small part, definitely up the viewing value of the film. Plus, they cut all the scenes by Johnny Knoxville out of the film and they show boobs three minutes into the movie. Ya can’t beat that.

Final Synopsis: Killshot is a solid thriller that deserves your attention. Why we weren’t allowed to see this badboy in theaters is beyond me, but you should definitely rent it now that it’s on video.

Points Lost: -1 pacing problems in the last third of the movie, -1 for pulling us away from Rourke’s character too much, -1 for being way too similar to A History of Violence

Lesson Learned: Native American assassins are badass.

Burning Question: Was it really necessary to try and make Rosario Dawson not as beautiful as she usually is? Booooo!

Killshot
7/10

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