Will a video game ever spawn a half-decent movie? Fingers are firmly crossed for Duncan Jones’s forthcoming Warcraft, but in the meantime this big-screen reboot of the Hitman series merely reminds us that in this genre Mortal Kombat and Silent Hill remain unremarkable high-water marks. Rupert Friend is the not-very-threatening eponymous bald man in a dodgy suit, born and bred to kill without conscience; Hannah Ware is the not-very-interesting heroine who must unravel the labyrinthine plot, which sees people constantly attempting to kill or kidnap her. That none of it makes any sense is not a problem, but the failure to raise the temperature despite endless shootouts, punch-ups, car chases et al is a fatal flaw. Zachary Quinto does some tight-jawed scenery chewing in the early stages and Ciarán Hinds keeps a straight face (just about) as the sinister project’s paterfamilias, but both are overshadowed by product placement (red Audis go fast!), which remains Player 1 throughout.
