Customer Reviews

The Contractor

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Contractor, formerly known as The Shooter, and not to be confused with Mark Wahlberg's "Shooter" is a movie starring Wesley Snipes as a CIA agent who is assigned to kill a terrorist, only to be framed for another murder. To complicate things more, Snipes will make friends with a teenager who will become his most valuable ally.

I have to say I find this film very straightforward, unimaginative, hardly believable on certain aspects, and just mildly entertaining. At times it feels like an amateur attempt to create a movie and innovate certain cinematographic aspects, but stays as an attempt. Even Lena Headey, who I always find her acting abilities exceptional, feels weak as Inspector Ballard, the one in charge of bringing Dial (Snipes) down. Eliza Bennet as the teenage girl who helps Snipes makes a very good job, even if certain aspects of her character are not believable. It's obviously not her fault, it's the writers'.

So I rate this movie as an average movie, with certain plot holes and pointless scenes. If you want some decent stuff by Wesley Snipes, take a shot, and there's the plus of having Lena Headey in it.

It's 90 minutes where you can enjoy a movie if you're not feeling too picky.

Save your time and money and go for "The shooter" instead of this boring movie. Wesley Snipes is cold as ice in this movie and I don't know how much he has been paid for this but its performance doesn't worth a penny.

If you're looking for an action film with car chases, shoot-outs and explosions, you will be disappointed with "The Contractor," which looks more like an old-fashioned cat-and-mouse thriller. The new Wesley Snipes film, it seems, is a blend of "Shooter" and "The Professional" (aka "Leon") with less actions and emotional intensity.

There is virtually nothing new about the story. Wesley Snipes plays James Dial, a retired sniper who is called in to do another job for men in suit. Of course, he is reluctant, accepts the job anyway and completes the mission, but not in the way he first expected and James must survive and fight back on his own as a stranger in London (but the film is shot in Bulgaria).

This stoic hitman is unexpectedly helped by a lonely, troubled 14-year-old girl Emily he encounters while hiding from his enemies. This is the most memorable part of the film because of the presence of Eliza Bennett ("Nanny McPhee"). You don't find the chemistry between Jean Reno and Natalie Portman here, but their acting is surprisingly good, making their unlikely friendship pretty convincing.

[NICE SUPPORTING CAST] In fact, the supporting actors are one of the merits of watching "The Contractor," of which cast includes, besides Eliza Bennett, veterans like Charles Dance, John Standing and Gemma Jones, plus Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo of "300") as Inspector Ballard.

In spite of their names, however, action scenes need more originality and tension and I don't think the hectic camera work really helps. Moreover, Dance and Headey are sadly wasted, especially the latter, having not much to do in the film's by-the-numbers story. The film is better than you may think, certainly better than most of Snipe's previous direct-to-DVD films, but not much improvement either.

a couple of reasonable action/fight scenes, but overall weak movie. Not worth the time to watch it.

Unlike what most people say. this movie was actually pretty good. I was just a little sad that there wasn't that many fight scenes on wesley snipes part, but it was still a great movie. A hell of a lot better than the Contract. at least this movie wasn't confusing and it made sense.

This is an average film - the acting and plot are average. However, the trouble is that you cannot really fathom out the plot because of the sound track which seems to find a new, loud and inappropriate sound every 15 seconds. So whilst I agree with the other reviewer about the camera shots, it is the abysmal sound track that repels me. However, this film is one in a long series of new movies that look appealing but are totally destroyed by over zealous sound engineers. It has come to the point where I will not purchase any new DVDs because of it - just revert to the old classics. It is such a pity because some of them are reasonable (e.g. the Shooter) but I want to watch a film; not be constantly distracted and irritated. Have they never heard of the suspension of disbelief? I rented this DVD before buying and I am glad I did. Pull your socks up producers! Oh, and please ask the female lead to stop pouting her lips!

This is probably one of the worst movies I've seen in a while. The story line was very similar to "Shooter" but the action and realism didn't compare. Overall it was pretty hard to sit through.

Overall, while not the best thriller I've seen, I enjoyed it.
Like several other reviewers have already stated, this movie's story is similar to other movies, much better movies with stronger stories. It's the overdone plot, man gets hired to assasinate someone, then the tables turn and the hunter becomes the hunted, thrown in a little "I was framed" for good measure, and you've just about got the story.
However, for me, there was one major addition that set this movie apart from being just another thriller, and that was the relationship the hunter (Snipes) has with the next door neighbor, a teenage girl. No, no hanky panky, just a lonely girl seeking someone to talk to and help. Snipes ends up seeking solace at his side kick's (who got killed) safe house when things go bad, and the girl becomes his new best friend. Despite Snipes best attempts to get rid of the girl and have her stop bothering him, he ends up enlisting her help as he recovers and tries to figure out who framed him, and how to get out of England.
Also add Scotland Yard Inspector, Lena Headly (pre Sarah Connor Chronicles tv series), who did a great job as well, and ends up helping Snipes, who she had previously believed killer her partner.
Good movie, not great, but good enough that I will add it to my 'to buy' list.

A good word to describe the whole movie and Wesley Snipes' acting as it were the movie and story line is good along with the action and uforgettable camera working. "The Contractor" is a memorable movie and it is good for people wanting a mysterious action-packed movie.

A heron flies across a country road in Montana. [No dog to bark a warning about visitors?] The cowboy is told about an imprisoned terrorist in London; does he know too much? Armed police patrol the London airport. [Are messages still passed in matchbooks? Would burning matches set off a smoke alarm?] The Contractor climbs into a steeple to perform his assigned task. The police seal off the area and stop cars from leaving. Will the Contractor escape? Will the surveillance cameras record all people? High-level police officers confer about this problem.

Why is there no help at the safe house? Would a young girl be so helpful to a stranger? Will he be recognized at the airport? The armed British police shoot at him. So does another person. If Jackson can't fly out of the country where will he go? Will the British SWAT team succeed in locating the fugitive? Could forensics identify the pistol that shot Superintendent Windsor? [Does the story get bogged down in the middle?] There is another chase through crowded streets. The British SWAT team uses H&K MP-5 machine guns like their US counterparts. Every telephone is Britain is tapped! [George Orwell's "1984" warned about this.] Will they intercept Jackson's call? Will the sound of gunshots alarm the public? There is a chase in the Underground. [A hooded jacket hides a person's face.]

There is another shoot-out in the kitchen of a hotel, done for dramatic effect. It doesn't disguise the lack of a good story. "It was never personal", they just followed orders. At the end Jackson rides out of town, like some cowboy in some old western movie. It is not a good ending. The use of mercenary assassins by a government is a topic that deserves a better film that this. You can read Norman Lewis' "The Sicilian Specialist", or Richard Condon's novels "Winter Kills" or "The Manchurian Candidate". Note that a professional killer will use a rifle so he can escape to collect his payment. A fanatic will use a pistol because he is willing to sacrifice himself for his cause.