Thanks for stopping by for another installment of Disc Dive! This week I revisit a movie that I bought immediately after streaming it. We’re going light on plot and heavy on action with… The Protégé (2021).
Title: The Protégé
Director: Martin Campbell
Released: August 19, 2021 (Theatrical – Russia)
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
Disc Format: Blu-ray
In Vietnam, back in 1991, the international assassin known as Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) is the last man standing after he eliminated an entire gang.
Once the dust settles, Moody discovers a young Anna (Eva Nguyen Thorsen) hiding in a standalone closet. Moody winds up taking Anna in and raising her as his own daughter while also training her as an apprentice of sorts.
Flash forward 30 years and Anna (Maggie Q) is now quite successful in her own right as an international assassin. Though to blend in and lay low, she runs a rare book shop in London.
While celebrating his 70th birthday, Moody gives Anna a name to look into, Lucas Hayes.
Not long after starting her search into Lucas Hayes, Anna crosses paths with a mysterious man at her store named Michael Rembrandt (Michael Keaton). The encounter is memorable because shortly after meeting Michael, Anna finds Moody murdered.
Luckily, Anna learned from the best. Not only was she able to recover files that Moody had hidden before his death, she then survives a shootout at her bookstore where she was the intended target.
Now fueled by revenge, Anna is determined to complete her mission no matter who stands in her way.
Somehow I feel like The Protégé (2021) has continued to fly under the radar since it was released.
Sure, people were still somewhat cautious about being out in public gatherings in 2021. But if any movie were to really catch-on once it hit streaming, I figured it would’ve been one where Maggie Q is just an absolute bad ass for 109 minutes.
Is The Protégé (2021) a perfect movie?
Not at all… but I still had a blast with it.
If you think about the plot too much, especially the last third of the film, you’ll probably get frustrated and lose interest.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the script tries its damndest to squander the electric chemistry between Maggie Q and Michael Keaton.
In addition to the chemistry between our two leads, Samuel L. Jackson seems to be having a blast in his role as Moody. He seems to be enjoying himself like he did in The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.
The cinematography from DP David Tattersall is another bright spot. I particularly enjoyed how he played with, and lived within, both bright colors and shadows. The camerawork during the fight sequences was also pretty impressive.
The Protégé (2021) works best as just a good old-fashioned popcorn action flick.
Don’t think too much about any of it. Just tune in, turn off your brain, and enjoy the ride.
Well, now it’s your turn.
Have you seen The Protégé (2021)?
If so, leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me hear your thoughts on it!
As always, you can follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.