‘Shadow Force’ Review: Two Spies Get Dragged From the Cold in Middling Action Opus

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20 years ago, the once-famous couple, reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles combined with “Mission: Impossible,” starred in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” This high-priced production resulted in a mix of positive and negative feedback. Despite this, it has continued to influence other productions. The most recent pair to don the coordinating bulletproof vests of married action heroes is Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, portraying international “elite special operators” who find themselves on the run from their old comrades in “Shadow Force.

Pulling off a movie like this requires a particular flair, as it balances bombast with playfulness in a star vehicle. Joe Carnahan’s film offers an acceptable distraction for a couple of hours, but the enjoyment is somewhat restricted due to unimaginative action sequences, lackluster dialogue, and a sentimental tone that leans heavily on the “It’s all about family!” theme. It seems more likely that Lionsgate’s theatrical release will find its main audience when it becomes available in home formats.

Kyrah (from Washington) and Isaac (originally from Sy) are a couple who first met at work. They were both members of the elite top-secret assassin squad put together by the then-CIA chief Jack Cinder (portrayed by Mark Strong). Their mission was to eliminate dangerous individuals worldwide. However, falling in love was strictly forbidden, and leaving their posts carried even greater consequences. After some time, they found themselves hiding from their former superior, who is now the General Secretary of the G7, as he seeks revenge against them due to their knowledge of classified information. Cinder’s rapid climb up the career ladder has only intensified his desire to eliminate his rogue agents and perhaps also stems from a lingering resentment over being replaced by Isaac in the affections of Kyrah, with whom he had a past relationship.

For several years, she’s been absent from her family, focusing on eliminating the last of the Shadow Force recruits who pose a threat to her loved ones. However, when Isaac is compelled to showcase his combat abilities during a bank heist where father and son unintentionally got involved, their heroic actions inadvertently exposed everyone’s secret identities. The family quickly flees to a hideout in the Colombian jungle, with mom joining them shortly after. It’s worth noting that the script’s inconsistent reasoning has her blaming Isaac for the attention, disregarding the fact that he was coerced into saving their child from armed thieves.

After a brief disagreement resulting in arguing and even physical altercations among the parents, the family gathering takes an unexpected turn and flees, eventually encountering their old CIA associates – a pair known as Auntie (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Unc (Method Man). However, they also find themselves pursued by agents from The Force, who ultimately lead everyone to Cinder’s high-tech island fortress.

The gunfight happening over there is satisfactory, but the movie “Shadow Force” tries to reach the action-packed intensity of “John Wick”, lacking the sophisticated fight sequences and stylish visual effects to achieve this goal. Filmed primarily in Colombia, the locations and P. Erik Carlson’s production design are strengths, yet Juan Miguel Azpiroz’s cinematography doesn’t fully capitalize on these assets, failing to deliver a gritty or visually stunning aesthetic that the material could benefit from. The chase scenes involving mountain roads and speed boats should generate more heart-pounding excitement than what is presented in this film.

In terms of character development, the movie seems to falter as well. The five reunited “Force” assassins (Yoson An, Sala Baker, Marvin Jones III, Natalia Reyes, Jenel Stevens-Thompson) each have distinct appearances but are given minimal dialogue or actions. Instead, more attention is drawn towards Cinder’s mistreated bodyguards and assistants (Marshall Cook, Ed Quinn), who at least suggest a bit of witty banter among themselves. It’s satisfying when it turns out later in the story that they have more complexity than initially perceived. However, Strong, who has portrayed numerous villains, finds so little intrigue in this role that he might as well have “Generic Antagonist” (or perhaps “If I can’t have her, no one will”) etched onto his forehead.

Although Sy and Washington deliver strong performances, the extravagant roles they’ve been given don’t seem to highlight their talents effectively. He manages to inject some humor and warmth into his character, but she seems overly sincere for the outlandish plot, alternating between emphasizing Kyrah’s tough side one moment and exaggerating her maternal affection the next; her cold demeanor towards Isaac makes it challenging to discern any chemistry between them. It would have been intriguing if her character’s dominant personality was the key to their relationship, but neither the script nor the actress are ready to take that risk. The interaction between Randolph and Method Man does delve into that area, but once more, the screenplay by Leon Chills and Carnahan fails to give these actors a chance to truly excel, as we anticipate they would.

In this straightforward and implausible situation, a more pragmatic approach is needed than the sentimental tone often found in “Shadow Force.” The problem lies in the excessive focus on young actor Kamara being excessively cute – which he undeniably is. However, this charm is overshadowed by the repetitive use of having a child deliver jokes or sing along to classic R&B songs. A recurring joke throughout the series is that small Ky is an ardent fan of 80s slow-jam artist Lionel Richie. Similar to many other elements here, this aspect comes across as a tired gimmick that lacks both the intelligence and originality required for it to work effectively.

If instead of Sy and Washington, characters like William Powell and Myrna Loy from “The Thin Man” movies had been given some modern-day banter, the filmmakers would have created a more engaging dynamic. However, what we get is just a replication of the same old fadeout that concluded “After the Thin Man,” which ended with a touch of sentimental cheesiness over 90 years ago.

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2025-05-09 13:07