One of the maddening aspects of modern moviemaking is the manner in which filmmakers — and probably more accurately, the investors and corporate brains funding those filmmakers — look to the past for ideas that they can adapt in different ways to make new product and lots of money.  Thus, we have in Kate a modern female assassin action movie that is clearly based upon the near-classic 1950 film noir D. O. A., in which a character portrayed by Edmond O’Brien spends the film’s running time looking for the guy who poisoned him before that poison kills him.  This film was updated in 1988 with Dennis Quaid, and, unofficially, other times on television as well.

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan’s film goes for a different feel, as it is set in Japan, emphasizes action and martial arts, casts a woman as the chief character and is almost completely lacking in suspense.  Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is an assassin whose life begins to unravel after she shoots a man in front of his young daughter.  Months later, attempting to finish the assignment, Kate finds herself poisoned by polonium-204, with only hours left to live.  Kate believes the girl’s uncle is behind her poisoning and determines to finish the job.  But she is forced to work with the girl, Ani (Miku Martineau), in ways she doesn’t expect, and the trail leads her toward an unexpected target.

Brutal, bloody, gritty and occasionally gross, the film’s action is impressive.  Fans of action should be receptive to the film’s many fights and firefights.  It is cool to see a woman kick so many butts, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is convincing in every aspect of her titular character.  Where the film fails is in its tale of betrayal.  The real culprit, the person not to be trusted, is clear from very early in the story, which telegraphs every new twist before it occurs.  The action is fast and furious, but the story is slow and studious, with no surprises and few rewards.  ☆ ☆.  23 May 2022.