REVIEW: The Protégé

While not overtly bad, this film certainly disappoints given its all-star cast that includes Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keaton. In fact, it may very well be my least favorite movie I’ve seen since the pandemic began.The plot, while relatively straightforward, leans too heavily on over-the-top action and not enough on what at its core could actually be a good story if it had been more fleshed out.It has all the motivations and vague quips of a solid action film, but not enough of the heart or payoff. In some instances, the action sequences were simply laughable.I didn’t enter this movie with a lot of expectations given the trailers I’d seen, so it’s fine for what it is. I certainly had hoped for better.That’s not to say there aren’t good performances. Michael Keaton—for me—stole the show with a commanding, charismatic actor that was written quite well. Maggie Q had glimmers of exceptional acting, too, but was hamstrung by the poor development of her character in the writers’ room.This movie will fit the bill for someone who can suspend disbelief while watching unnecessarily dramatic action sequences, isn’t afraid of some blood and doesn’t care too much about a deep, well-told story.The bottom line: I would watch [this again] on streaming … as part of a binge on solid Michael Keaton performances. 6/10