Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

It is bad for a film to be made before its time. It is much worse to be made before its time and by The Cannon Group, studio (in)famous for delivering cheap exploitation films. This is conclusion that some viewers might come to after watching Assassination, 1987 action thriller directed by Peter Hunt.

The protagonist, played by Charles Bronson, is Jay Killian, senior US Secret Service agent who returns to his job after long vacation and gets assigned to protect Lara Royce Craig (played by Jill Ireland), wife of newly inaugurated President. New First Lady is self-declared feminist who likes to do things her way and that puts her at odds with “chauvinistic” man in charge of her security. However, the two would have to set their differences when she becomes target of assassins. After attempts on her life continue Killian becomes convinced that the security is compromised and that people behind it are close to President. So, he and First Lady would have to take some unusual steps in order to survive and find ways to stop the conspiracy.

Basic premise behind Assassination – dedicated professional who must save hard-headed and initially hostile woman from assassins – is very much like the one used five years later in The Bodyguard, film, that unlike this one, became great hit. When compared with The Bodyguard, or even with similarly-themed Love and Bullets which also featured Bronson as bodyguard to character played by his wife Jill ireland, this film looks very bad. Most of flaws are caused by Cannon’s executives Menachem Golan and Yoram Globus who tried very hard to make Assassination as cheap as possible, thus wrecking the film that could have looked solid with a just little bit of polish. Peter Hunt, very experienced director known for his work on James Bond series, seems unable to do anything about script that tends to sacrifice subtlety and common sense for cheap display of pyrotechnics and rather unimpressive stunt work. At times Assassination looks like unintentional self-parody with allegedly professional assassins most conspicuous methods of approaching their targets while top Secret Service agent fights them with rocket-propelled grenades. Film becomes watchable only in scenes that feature Bronson and Ireland together; couple known for loving to appear together looks endearing when bickering. For Ireland this was penultimate role and the last joint appearance with Bronson; she plays arguably the strongest character of her career and her performance is even more admirable considering that she did while afflicted by terminal illness that would claim her life few years later. Her husband, however, unlike in many other films, didn’t have romantic subplot with her character, probably because producers feared that romance between First Lady and Secret Service agent would be seen as improper by American audience at the time. So, Bronson’s character is given alternative in form of much younger female Asian agent played by Jan Gan Boyd, an actress with whom Bronson failed to establish any chemistry. This failed film was the last in Peter Hunt’s filmography, while Bronson continued to make films for Cannon.

RATING: 3/10 (+)