It's probably safe to say that Netflix has a so-so track record when it comes to its action movies. For every hit, such as the Chris Hemsworth-led movies, there are more mixed offerings like and , which rack up big viewership numbers but fail to leave an impact critically. The streamer's latest offering, director Tom Harper's , attempts to put its own spin on a familiar action flick and break through that mold, but its results are mixed. The movie deserves some credit for putting its faith in female strength and introducing fascinating character dynamics, but its plot is too generic to stand out amid other recent action movies.
A covert mission atop a snowy mountain in Italy introduces Agent Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot), a tech whiz often kept in the van away from the action. She's part of an elite MI6 team led by Parker (a solid Jamie Dornan), and her job is strictly hacking; at least, that's what her fellow agents think. In reality, Stone is a member of the Charter, a shadowy, near-legendary organization that operates outside governmental boundaries to keep peace around the world. Stone's skills exceed that of her MI6 colleagues, partially because the Charter holds an incredible weapon: The Heart, an omniscient computer program that can access pretty much everything everywhere all at once.
When Stone is compromised and the Heart is put in danger, she finds herself up against Keya (Alia Bhatt), a skilled hacker with past criminal ties. Exactly what Keya wants with the Heart is a mystery, but Stone is determined to protect the Charter and get justice for some wrongs inflicted on her life. To say more would be to get into spoiler territory, and does manage to pull a surprise or two out of its screenplay, penned by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder and based on a story by Rucka. For all of
Coming just a month after the similarly-minded doesn't do many favors, especially when it comes to its action, which does at times pale in comparison to the more realistic spectacles of the Tom Cruise-led franchise. thankfully doesn't rely too much on the Heart's capabilities to push the plot forward, but there's still a strong sense of been there, done that.
As Rachel, Gadot leads with the same quiet strength and genuine heart she brought to the
starts off with a unique layer to its spy story firmly in place, as Rachel is hiding her true skill set from her MI6 teammates. This gives the character meaty internal conflict that would be interesting to see play out. However, a plot twist erases that conflict almost midway through the movie, sending it into a more simplistic place it never quite gets out of. The interactions Stone has with both Nomad and Keya hint at something more interesting, but with the Heart kept firmly as its primary focus,
begins streaming on Netflix Friday, August 11. It is 125 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and some language.