Although Agent 47 is a ‘programmed’ human we don’t really get to see what motivates him to do what he is doing and neither is there any focus on the larger issue. While the film may not be boring, it doesn’t really rise above the ordinary either.

The entire run is typically sci-fi generic. Nothing remotely original or exciting transpires on screen here. There’s plenty of confusion in the plotting and the structural faults in the narrative doesn’t allow for any attachment. There’s no feeling attached to the brutalizing, maiming and killing of the opponents and this makes the enjoyment largely suspect.

The film looks great but at the same time is disorienting. And the fault lies with the convoluted screenplay by Skip Woods and Michael Finch. It gets confusing to keep a track of who is working for whom and what they hope to gain. Also, the climax goes against the logic of the characters we were first fed. The film may appeal only to the “Hitman” video games fans.

The video game was such a hit because the lead character was many things — resourceful, impassive, stealthy and, to make matters interesting, a man with a fragile ego. In this film, he is turned into a Rambo of sorts, who shoots people on a busy street in broad daylight. The film, at best, can pass as an advertisement for automobile manufacturer, Audi.

While the film lacks warmth, there’s plenty of Euro-camp action here. Police cars emblazoned with ‘Polizei’ in car chases down narrow streets and more gunfights than dialogues. The action is slick and indeed, very stylish. Don’t expect much from the script; you don’t watch a movie like Hitman while expecting Shakespearian prose delivered as shots are fired. Get your action fix here.

Hitman is a video game property that seems cinematic because it borrows from other movies. However, a movie based on a game that is based on movies is hardly a recipe for good filmmaking. The curse of the video game based movies continues. It’s now up to Duncan Jones’ Warcraft and Michael Fassbender’s Assassin’s Creed to reverse this curse.

Ardent fans of the video game will enjoy this movie. The action scenes are wonderfully imagined and executed, and must be a treat to watch.

It is a film where the most delicately handled is 47’s suit, that he hangs up carefully at the end of every blood-splattered day.

By the end, you feel almost as vacant and blank as 47. There’s the hint of a sequel, so don’t walk out as the end credits roll. Wait for the one that comes mid-credit. And wonder why. This is a good enough example of what could have been, but wasn’t.