The Protégé (2021) - Finally a dynamic action thriller with a strong female lead character that convinces from start to finish - 9/10 (17/09/21)

The Protégé is a very entertaining action thriller with stunning action scenes, excellent actresses and actors and memorable locations. This kind of movie should appeal to all those who have admired the John Wick franchise as well as the recent Nobody or films such as Atomic Blonde, Peppermint and Red Sparrow.

The movie revolves around Anna Dutton, a Vietnamese orphan who has grown up in the United Kingdom and owns a bookstore selling rarities in her professional life. In her secret life however, she is a high-profile assassin that takes out criminals to make the world a better place. Her personal life comes into play when the man who saved and raised her gets assassinated. Anna Dutton has to travel to Vietnam to revisit her gruesome past and find out who instigated the hit against her father figure.

This film convinces on multiple levels. It has breathtaking pace through almost two hours that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The action scenes involve intense shootings, quick knife fights and a selection of dynamic martial arts elements.

The acting performances are also particularly inspiring. Maggie Q plays one of the greatest roles in her career and fully convinces as intellectual, passionate and resilient heroine who is both believable as bookshop keeper and professional assassin which is quite challenging to achieve. Her father figure is incarnated by charismatic Samuel L. Jackson who plays a character with wit and grit but also a heart of gold. Michael Keaton plays a rival assassin who plays a fascinating game of cat and mouse with the protagonist. He is unpredictable as he is analytical, brutal and cold at one moment just to impress with charm, elocution and intellect in the next scene.

The locations are memorable because they walk off the beaten path. The opening sequences take place in the beautiful countryside of Romania, the movie then shifts to some elegant buildings in the United Kingdom before being transferred to the different facets of Vietnam from isolated highways over downtown buildings of steel and glass to a top-security mansion.

While the story might be somewhat predictable, this movie stands out in a genre that has recently been oversaturated thanks to its excellent execution from start to finish.

If you like dynamic action thrillers with strong female lead characters, you are certainly going to appreciate The Protégé for its stunning action scenes, excellent actresses and actors and memorable locations. Enjoy the movie on the big screen and you will realize that it's much better than its lukewarm reputation.