About the film (courtesy of Lionsgate):
Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody – the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival – is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves ever tighter.

We’re approaching that summer burn off time where studios hope that they can squeak out a few extra dollars since the roster of competition is usually less than awe inspiring. And one of the things that we, as moviegoers, often forget is that not every offering needs to be a mega-budget blockbuster nor does it need to be award-worthy to be considered a good film. This brings us to The Protégé which brings with it an accomplished director and a more than capable cast.

Director Martin Campbell, best known for GoldenEye (1995), Casino Royale (2006), the Antonio Banderas-led Zorro franchise and unfortunately, DC’s Green Lantern (2011), brings his background in action flicks to another one that appears to be more grounded, and definitely grittier than most of his prior works. Almost immediately audiences will realize that The Protégé is well deserving of its R-rating with that aspect being a major part of the draw.

The crime thriller features a pretty solid cast of actors with Samuel L. Jackson, Maggie Q, Michael Keaton and Robert Patrick being four biggest names. As we all already know, Samuel L. Jackson does his best work when there are no filters to worry about. So with this rating, Jackson was free to do his worst, but in a good way. You could say that the veteran actor has become typecast, but it’s exactly what the paying public expects and wants. There’s no big shockers with the performance that you’ll get from him. The same can be said for Maggie Q as she excels in physically demanding roles such as these.

Michael Keaton is the interesting one here because you really don’t know what type of character he’s going to portray from film to film. What I will reveal about Keaton’s character in The Protégé is that he has a lot of depth and that he’s quite likeable. Actually, I could very easily argue that his performance is the best of this film since he controls whatever scenes he’s featured in.

The action sequences are fast, in-your-face and brutal which should give adrenaline junkies something to look forward to. The writing in The Protégé is above average and will viewers engaged throughout the 109 minute runtime. With there being multiple layers to the plot, not everything is in your face transparent to the point that makes it annoying predictable.

The Protégé is measurably short of being a perfect picture, but it has enough positive elements to it that make for a surprising solid late summer choice if you’re looking for something with more of an edge to keep you entertained. You can catch it in theaters only this Friday, with early showings Thursday evening.