Sean Penn an action movie star?  Sort of, in The Gunman, where he portrays a “security expert” / hit man who finds himself in trouble eight years after one particular assignment in the Congo.  It’s an international action movie, with scenes taking place in the Congo, England and Spain.  With Penn involved — he also helped write the film, and produced it — it promised to be dense and complex as well as kinetic, and it is.

Pierre Morel’s film follows Terrier (Penn) from the Congo to London and Barcelona as he tries to determine who is trying to kill him eight years after his participation in a hit.  His travels bring him back in contact with the woman he loved but left (Jasmine Trinca) and a couple of his colleagues (Javier Bardem, Mark Rylance), who may no longer be trustworthy.  This is mainly a man-on-the-run scenario, sort of like the Bourne series, as Terrier defends himself, protects his woman and kills a lot of people in grisly detail.

I’m positive that its political aspects appealed to Penn; Terrier is a guy actually trying to do some good in a place that desperately needs it (as long as that doesn’t interfere with his assassinations, about which he feels guilty).  Besides that, however, and the story’s density, I’m not sure why he felt compelled to make this movie.  Terrier, like Liam Neeson’s Taken character Bryan Mills, is a man of many skills, so it seems not only odd but unimaginable that he would simply leave the woman he loves in the hands of another man (Bardem) for eight years.  The romantic triangle stuff in this film is its weakest aspect, unconvincing and ill-staged.

The action sequences mostly impress, and Penn looks incredibly buff for a man my age.  Penn remains a powerful actor, and provides a gravitas that this material does not deserve.  Second billed Idris Elba pops in for three or four scenes in the last half hour; better parts are provided to Ray Winstone and Rylance.  This isn’t a bad film by any means, but it just doesn’t gel for me as it should.  It’s always good to see Penn in action, and this is a bit of a departure for him, but I’d rather see him stick to higher quality dramas where he can truly shine.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  25 March 2015.