I'm not good at math, but I'd like to attempt a little bit of an equation to describe the video-game-to-film Hitman:

The Bourne Films + gore -- believability -- sympathy for the protagonist + "video game-heightened" reality + scores of religious iconography = Hitman

I think I've gotten the hang of this math stuff with this particular equation. And although this description gives you a good idea of where Hitman stands in relationship to other films of its ilk, it doesn't tell you about the quality or thematic depth of the film.

So, is Hitman any good, and does it have anything to say? Well, let's be honest. Hitman is a film based on a video game. This is not Casino Royale, or any of the Bourne films&ellips; but it is Shakespeare compared to other video game adaptations that I have seen. The film is populated with an international cast, as well as produced by one. Xavier Gens, a Frechman, directed the film. And interestingly, the film never once sets itself on American soil. This international quality probably helped Hitman sell its hyper-realism.

The film tries to explore a number of classic spy and assassin elements, with very mixed results. One aspect of assassin films that is almost mandatory is to highlight an element of loneliness and isolation in the hearts of these men. But the flip side of that coin is the resourcefulness and ingenuity these loners develop. This is a romantic and fascinating thing to observe, which is one reason the spy and assassin genre of entertainment continues to intrigue us. Here, that element is explored in a paper thin manner. Check out The Day of the Jackal for the ultimate in lonely assassin mystique.

There is also a wonderfully frequented theme which has best been explored in the Jason Bourne films, where the "hunter becomes the hunted." Agent 47, our main character played by Timothy Olyphant, is the best of the best in an organization known only as&ellips; well&ellips; The Organization. When we meet him he completes a "Bond-like" introduction mission in Africa, and quickly bounces to another job in Russia in which he gets set up by an unknown culprit. We spend the rest of the film watching Agent 47 unleash vengeance on those who set him up while simultaneously saving a girl, striking as many poses as Madonna, and firing more hand cannons than Keanu Reeves' Neo. The question winks at us throughout the film: who really is the hunter and who is the hunted?

Another espionage mainstay, and one which drives me crazy, is the political body double. I won't give too much away here, but the plot of Hitman involves a politician with a body double, and the conspiracy which swirls around that. What is with this concept? We've seen it just a few weeks ago in Vantage Point, and we've seen it consistently throughout political thrillers. I just have a hard time buying this concept; is anyone else with me? In this day of digital crispness, and images beamed across the globe, (not to mention Photoshop) aren't we becoming a little bit too sophisticated to believe that a politician could really pull off a body double? If George Bush ever sent a body double into a press conference&ellips; do you honestly believe anyone in the room, or across the nation, would fall for it? Okay, I'll get off that soapbox now.

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