Rating 2/5
Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner), a convicted felon is transplanted with the memories of deceased CIA agent Bill Pope who got killed in a secret mission, because Bill cracked a deal with Duthman (Michael Pitt) the developer of wormhole program that controls world’s nuclear defense codes and hid him at an unknown place until he could bring the deal money, but before that he was caught by Heimdahl who is after Dutchman to get those secret codes for his evil designs.
Bill’s CIA supervisor, Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman) wanted to trace Dutchman through Bill’s memory transplanted into Jericho’s brain by genius scientist Dr. Mahal Franks. What happens when emotionless, cold blooded Jericho escapes from CIA’s custody and start chasing Bill’s memories all alone? How a stone hearted criminal becomes a soft hearted lover, Ariel Vromen’s Criminal takes us on this journey.
The Criminal has been just a simple and predictable story; lacks thrill and have a smaller portion of Sci-Fi, though I would like to remove the Sci-Fi tag from this movie, because Vromen has trivialized the memory transplantation process into just a copy-paste trick. Please sir, help me to erase my memory of watching this film.
Writer Douglas Cook and David Weisberg once again proved that women are driven by their emotions, while men are driven by their brains. Bill’s memories in Jericho’s brain were forcing him to align his newly invented emotions towards Jill, but what was strongly driving Jill towards Jericho, of course her undying emotions for Bill Pope. Film further reinstates that love and emotions are vital for crime free and peaceful society.
What keeps the audience glued is strong characterization and a tremendous performance by the leading cast. As a dreaded convict who lacks the ability to sense emotions due to head injury during Childhood, Costner, unknowing trapped in CIA’s secret mission seems helpless and you instantly brim with sympathy for him. His hardcore action gives you goosebumps and his gradually increasing emotional attachment with Emma, the adolescent daughter of deceased Bill, melts your heart.
As Bill’s widow Jill, Gal Gadot elevates those emotions further. In a small but powerful role of Heimdahl, Jordi Molla, is strictly okay. Heimdahl was desperate to get wormhole software, but what was his motive remains a secret even after the climax.
Tommy Lee Jones expresses the right emotions of a scientist towards his human subject of experiment. Gary Oldman was enough heinous and professional to look like a CIA supervisor. Background score tries hard to instill the lacking thrill and cinematography enhances the production value.
The criminal is a onetime watch action drama which deserves only 2 stars. Read more film review!
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