Final Target

Ava is the first star-studded Hollywood movie to be released since lockdown and it is extraordinarily bad. Few films of such low quality make it to cinemas, ending up being branded as the biggest fuck-ups of the year. Did the actors even read the screenplay before saying yes to this? Malkovich is the only one who maintains his dignity here, as his character is the only one that makes sense. The role reserved for Common is a bad joke (when we recall how he turned in a good performance in, for example, the genre-related John Wick 2). Farrell’s main villain – a ruthless killer with zero characterization – doesn’t fit in at all either, and Geena Davis’s overly botoxed mother character could have elicited sympathy if the screenplay had allowed her to do so. But the whole sad family storyline with the problematic daughter played by Jessica Chastain is completely unworkable and only delays the secret-agent brawls and shootouts, which of course are nothing to write home about either, as they only add action to the most hackneyed secret-agent motif possible, i.e. the elimination of one member of a team of hired assassins. But what really cuts this film off at the knees is Jessica’s character, who has not a single likable character trait worthy of compassion or any reasonable motivations for the past decisions that she now regrets as she attempts to find her way back to her family. It’s as if she is supposed to be some sort of pop-culture anti-heroine whom we are supposed to root for due to the fact that she fucks up both everything she touches and everything she avoids. There is nothing good about this film. (07.08.2020)

In the scenes featuring Geena Davis, I fail to see how the “horror” genre label applies. You need a strong stomach to watch  someone who used to be a charismatic young lady and is now bloated with Botox. Hollywood actresses seem to be incapable of ageing gracefully. Nicole Kidman says hello. As for the movie as such? Jessica, following in the footsteps of Charlize Theron, has produced the umpteenth variation on the “tough girl” trope, and it doesn’t work at all. Not even as a relationship drama, because no one will be invested in Ava’s family troubles, nor as an action movie, because the action is bland and lifeless and lacks adrenalin. I really bought Charlize’s combative Amazon, but I couldn’t suspend disbelief for Jessica’s. Two stars, but only because I wasn’t offended by how stupid it was, and because of John Malkovich, who delivers a fantastic “protective grandfather” aura. The man is charisma incarnate. (29.08.2020)

Assassin Jessica Chastain returns home after years to reconcile with her sister, sort things out with her mom, confront her own past, and occasionally kill someone Colin Farrell sends at her. Ava is more of a drama that tries to avoid action, which is good because the action isn't worth much. Unfortunately, however, the drama isn't worth much either, so aside from the charismatic and punishingly underused cast, there's really nothing in this schlock worth wasting your time for. (07.08.2020)

Ava is a bit of a pointless film. In terms of action, it wants to be Anna and in terms of story it wants to be Red Sparrow, but in terms of quality it doesn't live up to either. Fortunately, it stars Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell, actors who make every movie worth seeing. The action is unfortunately dull to the point of woe, but it's good enough to kill the boredom. Story**, Action***, Humor>No, Violence**, Entertainment***, Music***, Visuals***, Atmosphere***, Suspense***. 5/10. (21.08.2020)

Maybe if this were a two-hour special of Days of Our Lives, Ava could be seen as a success. Unlikeable characters with illogical motivations wander through a sort of reality that is reminiscent of life and poor actors who probably only received the script at the door when they arrived for the shoot. This cold-blooded assassin constantly emotionally hounded by an old family trauma looks deep into her memories which she supposedly isn’t interested in, because she wants to steal her sister’s husband and disappear? So Common plays a complete jerk and Colin Farrell a slippery HR manager who is just solving a problem with the staff. ‘Cause business rules... The whole of the funny finale when the heroine is on the brink of suicide until a baddie who wants to kill her breaks into her apartment and so she fights for her dear life with him sounds like something from a screenwriter who didn’t read what came before so he could follow on from that. A miserable movie, with pretty good action. (25.04.2021)

The only scenes where Jessica Chastain is not replaced by a stunt double are the ones where she has cleavage up to her waist and a slit too. Thanks God at least for that. The rest is tragic, absolutely devoid of substance and script. Malkovich is the only one who kind of sticks out as an actor. Charlize was an agent of a different calibre. (03.09.2020)

Nothing that we haven't seen before (perhaps with the exception of Steven Seagal's films), and it’s been done better. Jessica Chastain battles not only killers, but also the stupid script, the rest of the cast looks good in the credits, but as a result it's all a big missed chance. In addition, Tate Taylor can't even shoot a proper action scene, which is pretty bad for an action movie. (24.04.2021)

I give this film one star only because I felt sorry for John Malkovich, who, regardless of the script, gave a high-quality performance as usual. For me, he was the only part of the movie which wasn’t a disappointment. I wasn't impressed by the rest of the cast, especially Geena Davis, who was downright terrifying, looking like her own rubber caricature. The script was terrible, the choreography of the fights was ridiculous (or pathetic, it’s up to you to decide) and Jessica Chastain was as convincing as Idris Elba in the role of Heimdall. (27.11.2020)