February 12, 2025

THE CONTRACTOR (2022) – Chris Pines saves this from feeling mundane and run-of-the-mill

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Rating: ⭐⭐ 1/2

contractor

The Contractor falls under the generic action movies that are a dime a dozen from Hollywood. These movies are often very similar in plot and quite easily forgettable. What attracted me to The Contractor despite this association, is its main star Chris Pines who have had a respectable track record so far, and the opportunity to see my favourite TV hero from the 24 series, Kiefer Sutherland who has a supporting role here.

To be fair, The Contractor is not that bad, and I dare say pretty engaging. Chris plays an ex Special Forces soldier who is forced to be discharged due to some injuries sustained from his duties. He then joins a private company headed by Kiefer Sutherland’s character as a sort of contract mercenary that does work for national security. The company has a dubious background, we can guess right away that things will not be working out rosy for Chris with his assignment. Much of the action takes place in Berlin, Germany which is a welcome change of scene from the usual American landscape. The action scenes were generally well executed, kept at a credible level and impactful with the thunderous gun shots ringing in our ears.

While Chris Pines’ character may be a bit on the predictable side, he did had some opportunities to shine and remind us of his acting talents. Ironically it is the film’s quieter moments when there are no shooting and running around which were more effective. Here, credit to be given to director Tarik Saleh for giving the movie the balance between the action, and the characters. The scene where Chris burst out shouting at his best friend is as effective as it gets as we can see and feel the raw energy released through his powerful acting.

I have to admit I was disappointed Kiefer Sutherland’s role was not expanded further and ended up more like a cameo. It would have been good had the story provided some background to his character, rather than leaving it being so unsympathetic and one-dimensional.

The Contractor may not be very original but it does a decent job in (re-) telling an typical action thriller in a manner that still entertains and not feel stale.

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