Review of The November Man (2014) by Jeff B — 01 Sep 2014

A standard-issue spy story rife with more flubs than an elementary school Christmas Pageant, November Man only goes to prove that an entire film crew can become culture shocked when it tries to go all Red Oktober. You so wished that it this so-called actioner was good. After all, it stars 1990s James Bond, a Man for all seasons still capable of kicking ass and oozing charisma as much or even more than current pensioner action heroes like Liam Neeson, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oh, this star brings an impressive skill set...only the script he's given lacks ingenuity and the production lacks a lot of oomph. First off, why do so many Russians speak English with very little trace of an accent? Well, to move the story along, of course! Some flicks at least TRY interspersing in more subtitlesnot November Man. Also, in one scene, a henchman clearly has blood pellets visible in his mouth before he receives a pounding. The writing is just as sloppy, however, laying down a second string political conspiracy stitched together from Tom Clancys back catalogue. One example of this crap convergence occurs when Brosnans pupil-turned-antagonist's next-door neighbor in Russia, a beautiful American blond, shows up practically with love interest tattooed across her head. Were this a smart spy scenario, moviegoers would be right to expect she was a rival agent out to kill himbut nope, shes just a ridiculously attractive and lovesick American who just happens to live next door. It if weren't for a few legitimately pulse-pounding action sequences, this flick could've very well been called Old World is Not Enough.

In this R-rated actioner, an ex-CIA operative (Brosnan) gets brought back in on a very personal mission and finds himself pitted against his former pupil (Bracey) in a deadly game involving high level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect.

Here's mud in your Goldeneye! Though clearly up the challenge, Pierce Brosnan's latest just doesn't prove very challenging. Just because a production features an older hero doesn't mean that the story needs be older than dirt. Hell, 1960s James Bond Sean Connery gave it a go time (The Rock) and time (Entrapment) and time again (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) well into his 70s. Will November Man live to see December? Tomorrow Never Dies, er, Knows.

Bottom line: Sigh Another Day.