<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=36750692&amp;cv=3.6.0&amp;cj=1"> An Action Flop With 3 Oscar-Winners and No Clue Strokes Its Ego on Netflix
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Your details are incorrect, or aren't in our system yet. Please try again, or sign up if you're new here.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Create a GAMURS
By g up, you agree to our and of Service.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose a name
Choose a unique name using 3-30 alphanumeric characters.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose your preferences
Choose how we communicate with you, opt out at anytime.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Check your email
An confirmation link was sent to your email. Don't forget to check your spam!
Enter the email address you used when you ed and we'll send you instructions to reset your .
If you used Apple or Google to create your , this process will create a for your existing .
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Reset instructions sent. If you have an with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or if the problem persists.
Photo via Open Road Films

An exhausting action flop with 3 Oscar-winners and no clue massages its excessively inflated ego on Netflix

It's almost impressive how bad it is given the talent on display.

Liam Neeson may have repeatedly gone back on his word about retiring from action thrillers – which he probably should looking at how the last few have fared – but his legacy as cinema’s favorite grizzled throat-puncher extends far beyond his own filmography for better or worse, with The Gunman easily falling into the latter half of the equation.

Recommended Videos

Thanks almost entirely to the success of Taken, the genre was almost immediately swamped with middle-aged veterans deciding they wanted a piece of the pie, but even at that it was a surprise when the oh-so-serious Sean Penn decided that he fancied his chances of undergoing a reinvention as a cinematic badass.

via Open Road Films

The Gunman – which the two-time Academy Award winner even co-wrote – made no bones about its inspiration by drafting in Taken director Pierre Morel to oversee the carnage, with the esteemed ensemble boasting fellow Oscar-winners Javier Bardem and Mark Rylance, along with Idris Elba and Ray Winstone.

Penn even made sure there was an obligatory shirtless scene to show off his ripped abs and glistening pecs, but evidently became so distracted by his own ego that he forgot to ensure his screenplay was halfway decent. Roasted by critics with a 16 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and shunned by crowds after barely managing to recoup half of its $40 million budget, The Gunman was an unmitigated disaster.

And yet, because it lives on as a B-tier shoot ’em up packing a raft of big names, streaming salvation is always just around the corner. To that end, the dire effort has re-emerged as one of Netflix’s most-watched films per FlixPatrol, even if it’s definitely among the “GeriAction” fad’s weakest.


We Got This Covered is ed by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about our Policy
Author
Image of Scott Campbell
Scott Campbell
News, reviews, interviews. To paraphrase Keanu Reeves: Words. Lots of words.