Director: John Madden
MPAA Rating: R ( violence, language and brief nudity )
Running Time: 95 Mins
Tagline: "He never met a target he couldn't take. Until today "
Goddamn the Weinstein Company! Because of their sorry asses this movie ended up being the atrocity it is. For those who are not following why I am so upset, don’t worry, I will clarify it all in a minute. I remember seeing a trailer for this movie back in 2006. While watching it, in my mind, the presence of Mickey Rourke and Thomas Jane, made this a must see movie. Both actors hadn’t had a big break in awhile, and they deserved it. Unfortunately the studio postponed the release of the film, not once, but numerous times…I even lost count how many trailers I saw for this movie, each one different from the last.
Eventually the movie was released in 2009 (3 years later) and straight to DVD, with a very limited theatrical release. Right there I knew that wasn’t a good thing. When I went to blockbuster, to my surprise they had a previously viewed copy of the film. After viewing it…I was lost for words…of how horrible this movie was. To begin, you can tell the movie was heavily edited and truncated in length; the use of fast cuts, minimal important dialogue, and overall lack of explanation. At times I felt as if something was missing. That could not be farther from the truth; the Weinstein Company re-edited and removed a pivotal character in the film (Johnny Knockville). The reason for this was due to poor receptions during its screening. The result from all this is a very uneven, confusing, and disjointed film.
Well, even with all the editing that was applied to the film, there still exists a plot. Mickey Rourke plays a Hitman named Blackbird (at least that is how they refer to him) who works for the mafia. After eliminating a mafia leader, he meets up with an amateur, obnoxious, annoying crook (Joseph Gordon Levitt) he lures him in to working for him. More than anything the kid is only interested in what he can learn and get out from Blackbird. On the other end of the film we have Thomas Jane and Diane Lane. They are both separated, but, they help each other out in their problems. Problems, such as those were Jane gets fired from his job, and ends up finding a job where his wife works at. While on his way to his where his wife works, he gets mistaken for the boss, that blackbird is looking to kill. From here Blackbird begins to take it personally. All due to the fact that both Jane and his wife saw Blackbird’s (what an annoying name) face, and that for him is a big no-no. 
I think if they ever do release the original intended film, then perhaps this movie will get better recognition…until then, this movie would be looked upon, at least for me, as a confusing and mindless film. The only redeeming value this movie has is Mickey Rourke. He always shines up the screen, the guy is menacing in any role he takes, even the mediocre ones. However, I cannot say the same thing for Gordon-Levitt, the dude extremely annoying, from the beginning until the last scene where he eventually gets shot by blackbird. I cheered when he pulled the trigger on him, perhaps one of the few memorable scenes in the entire picture. Anyway, I wouldn’t bother buying nor renting this movie, at least not until they release the director’s cut. By the way, dont be fooled by the trailer, the movie is nothing like it. 
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