October 12, 2023 Category: Movie Reviews / Retrospectives If you grew up in the era of DVD menus, nu-metal soundtracks, and the never-ending debate of Matrix vs. Equilibrium , then you probably remember Hitman (2007) .
Rewatching Hitman (2007): A Flawed, Fun Time Capsule of Late-2000s Action hitman 2007
In the games, the thrill is disguise, patience, and making a kill look like an accident. The movie trades all that for gunfights and car chases. It’s a decent action flick, but a bad Hitman adaptation if you care about the source material. Spoiler warning (for a 16-year-old film): late in the third act, we learn 47 has a twin brother, also an assassin, named... 48. It’s ridiculous. It undercuts 47’s uniqueness, feels ripped from a daytime soap opera, and leads to a final sword fight that belongs in a different movie. Even Olyphant reportedly called it "silly." The Legacy: Better Than You Remember (and Worse) Hitman (2007) sits at a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes but somehow spawned a 2015 reboot (with Rupert Friend) that was even less memorable. The Olyphant version has developed a cult following for its unapologetic B-movie energy. It’s a time capsule: the grainy digital look, the heavy bass score by Geoff Zanelli, the brief nudity, the mid-credits scene setting up a sequel that never came. October 12, 2023 Category: Movie Reviews / Retrospectives
Director Xavier Gens ( Frontier(s) ) brings a European grindhouse feel. The color palette is all muted grays and browns, and the camera lingers on 47’s cold, methodical preparation. You believe this man kills people for a living. Here’s the cardinal sin for fans of the Hitman games ( Silent Assassin, Blood Money ). The movie has almost no stealth . Agent 47 walks through hotel lobbies in full view, shoots dozens of cops in public, and engages in a massive helicopter explosion. That’s not a hitman—that’s a one-man army. The movie trades all that for gunfights and car chases
Cue the train fights, sniper duels, and a shocking twist involving a secret twin brother (yes, really). At the time, fans scoffed. "Where’s the barcode? He’s too handsome! He talks too much!" But in hindsight, Olyphant delivers a solid, understated performance. He doesn’t just scowl—he moves like a predator, calm and coiled. He understood the assignment: be physically imposing but emotionally absent, with just a flicker of curiosity about humanity through Nika.
Also, the man looks incredible in a black suit. The tailoring alone is worth the price of admission. The fight choreography isn’t John Wick (few things were in 2007), but it has a gritty, early-2000s charm. A standout scene: 47 takes down a room full of guards using only a fiber wire and a tea tray. Another highlight is the train shootout—bullet casings flying, blood spritzing, Olyphant reloading with robotic precision. It’s violent without being stylish, which oddly fits the character.