With TAKEN 3 looking like the last entry in the Liam Neeson franchise, we are going to need another aging actor used to critical acclaim to kick ass with a particular set of skills. Luckily, Sean Penn was willing to take a break from his humanitarian efforts around the world to wield some serious firepower for Pierre Morel in THE GUNMAN.
Co-starring Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, Idris Elba, and Javier Bardem, THE GUNMAN has a cast that rivals any number of studio pictures and yet feels like a guerrilla version of TAKEN. Of course, Morel directed the first TAKEN, so that may explain the visual similarities.
An international spy must clear his name in order to save himself from the organization that he used to work for.
Seeing Penn going up against Bardem looks pretty intense (well, aside from that awkward "really? really?" scene in the trailer) and the inclusion of Idris Elba is always welcome. This looks like a potential franchise starter if all works out. Sean Penn is not exactly known for his action roles but this could be a nice genre change for the actor. Yeah, I like his dramatic roles and work as director, but sometimes we just want to see a fun movie and THE GUNMAN could be that flick.
THE GUNMAN opens fire on March 20, 2015.