Why did a critically panned action movie become a philosopher's guilty pleasure?
In short: The 2007 adaptation of the Hitman video game series was savaged by critics for its convoluted plot and inane dialogue. Yet, despite a dismal 16% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film found an unlikely champion in Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who included it on his list of greatest films.
Directed by Xavier Gens and starring Timothy Olyphant as the genetically engineered assassin Agent 47, the production of Hitman was fraught with instability. Originally featuring Vin Diesel in the lead role, the project saw significant changes after Diesel stepped down in December 2006. By the time filming began in March 2007, the production was already facing pressure to deliver a hit. Tensions escalated during post-production when 20th Century Fox fired Gens, denied him final cut, and brought in editor Nicolas de Toth to soften the film's tone and restructure the narrative.
The studio's interference extended to the film's core mythology. Originally, the character of Agent 47 was intended to be a clone, a detail supported by early footage of other barcoded assassins. However, during extensive reshoots—which included replacing a train platform fight with a more elaborate sword sequence—this origin was obscured to allow for a more diverse cast. These changes, combined with a plot involving a Russian presidential double and a clandestine group known as the Organization, resulted in a disjointed experience that critics largely dismissed as incoherent.
Despite the critical backlash, the film proved to be a commercial success. Produced on a budget of approximately $24 million, it grossed nearly $100 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run. Its legacy is equally strange; while Time magazine labeled it one of the ten worst video game movies in 2008, it eventually found a home on Disney+ as part of the studio's push to diversify its mature content. For Slavoj Žižek, the film's lack of high-minded quality was precisely the point, as he categorized it among his personal 'guilty pleasures' that made no compromises for good taste.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hitman (2007 film)
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