Director: Ariel Vromen
Cast: Kevin Costner,  Gary Oldman,  Tommy Lee Jones,  Alice Eve,  Gal Gadot,  Ryan Reynolds,  Jordi Mollà,  Antje Traue,  Michael Pitt, Scott Adkins
Rating: 15
Running Time: 113 mins
Release Date: 15th April 2016

Since the mega-budgeted WATERWORLD in 1995 and his much-maligned futuristic offering THE POSTMAN, Kevin Costner has admittedly lost some appeal to movie-goers in the shadow of his earlier successes in films like NO WAY OUT, BULL DURHAM, THE UNTOUCHABLES and his Oscar-winner DANCES WITH WOLVES.

The essence of true stardom is still having enough in the tank to bring back the fans and those who love your work so you can satisfy them from a different perspective.

In 1993, Costner teamed up with Clint Eastwood for A PERFECT WORLD, a crime drama in which Costner nurtured a kid whilst on the run from  Eastwood’s Sheriff. It brought him some of the best reviews of his career and demonstrated his prowess and evident ability to play both good guys and bad guys.

CRIMINAL, his latest, is a London-based contemporary sci-fi / crime thriller which places his character, Jericho, in the PERFECT WORLD mould. It does have echoes of a number of previous offerings, notably A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, the BOURNE series and FACE/OFF.

Criminal

Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) is a CIA operative working in London looking to secure a deal with a hacker known as ‘The Dutchman’. He is being tracked for criminals and gets trapped in a disused building, where he is tortured and shot.

His boss at the CIA, Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman) recruits Dr. Franks (Tommy Lee Jones) to initiate a brain implant program, whereby Pope’s dying brain thoughts are implanted into Costner’s Jericho so that the mission can be completed….

Criminal

This is a competent and at times thrilling piece of cinema, albeit a little over-familiar given the references to earlier films and perhaps that will work against it if more savvy film-goers decide to see it. That said, it is always good to see a film that depicts London (a city I have lived in for three decades) in its proper context, rather than the ‘Hollywood, London’ depiction that has appeared in films like WAYNE’S WORLD and FAST AND FURIOUS 6 (which starred one of CRIMINAL’s lead actresses Gal Gadot, riding high at present as Wonder Woman in BATMAN V SUPERMAN, and playing Pope’s wife here gives a valued performance). Since HARRY POTTER, audiences have learned to see a more real depiction of the city and the action is staged effectively here.

Criminal review

CRIMINAL does show some character evolution. Costner gives a contained performance as Jericho with the revelation of what the good doctor Franks has prescribed and the effect it has on his demeanour as the film progresses. As well as the decently presented London locale, it is also nice to see the locals being portrayed honestly.

With Costner, Jones and Oldman in place, it feels like a 25th Anniversary reunion for JFK, the Oscar-winning account of the JFK assassination, with their roles considerably different here. However, it is such a joy to see them here, especially in a very British-set thriller.

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It is good to see Costner back in good form in CRIMINAL after a lean period where he has also concentrated on music with his band Modern West. With Kevin Reynolds, his director on ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES and WATERWORLD, helming the new Jesus historical drama RISEN, I suspect it won’t be long before the two of them team up again to do a new film together.

CRIMINAL has much to offer with sufficient action, pyrotechnics and violence to keep the most avid fan satisfied. It certainly holds your attention for its 113 minute running time and is a good choice overall.

Verdict

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Film and TV Journalist Follow: @Higgins99John Follow: @filmandtvnow