ASSASSINS AREN’T BORN. THEY’RE MADE.

Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien), who’s consumed with a desire for vengeance on jihadists who murdered his fiancée, is taken to a CIA facility where he’s invited to train for a black ops mission.

Vince Flynn wrote several books about the lead character and this was Rapp’s first appearance on screen. The film gets off to a bloody, shocking start, but as Rapp goes into training with tough-as-nails veteran Michael Keaton things get increasingly conventional.

OK action, but O’Brien and Taylor Kitsch lack charisma as adversaries.

2017-U.S. 111 min Color. Widescreen. Directed by Michael Cuesta. Screenplay: Stephen Schiff, Michael Finch, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz. Novel: Vince Flynn. Cast: Dylan O’Brien (Mitch Rapp), Michael Keaton (Stan Hurley), Sanaa Lathan (Irene Kennedy), Shiva Negar, Taylor Kitsch, David Suchet. 

Trivia: At earlier points, Antoine Fuqua and Zwick considered directing; Chris Hemsworth and Bruce Willis were considered for leading roles.