PLOT: An estranged couple with a bounty on their heads must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer, a unit of shadow ops that has been sent to kill them.
REVIEW: Joe Carnahan‘s name really used to mean something in the action space. And I’d argue that he still does to some extent (with a ton of anticipation for his recently wrapped Affleck/Damon flick RIP). And I love that Kerry Washington is getting into the world of guns and mayhem. Sadly, their latest film, Shadow Force, fails to get me excited for either’s output in the genre, as it’s a pale retread of better films.
I was shocked by how much of Shadow Force consists of characters simply talking. When the whole plot is “former shadow ops are hunted down by their former team/employer” you expect a lot more action. But instead, this is more of a family drama, with a lot of focus being put on Washington, Kerry Washington‘s Issac, and their son Ky. That’s not inherently a bad thing, and there are some fun moments there, like their love for Lionel Richie. It just means the action moments need to really hit hard the few times that they do. Instead, it all feels so pedestrian. And it doesn’t help that, with how generic the story is, it all just feels like a retread of something we’ve seen time and time again.
I would blame the budget, but we’ve seen some great films on the smaller end of the scale put up some awesome action set pieces. And with Carnahan at the helm, I expected a lot. But there are such long stretches, with the few bits of action that happen being cut around, and/or over in a flash. The only part that really gets some time to breathe is the finale. Just don’t expect a ton of creativity. This is about as meat and potatoes as you can expect when it comes to action beats. There are a ton of cuts, and they’re constantly having to hide hits. This just doesn’t cut it in 2025. I guess the one positive is that it’s mostly done practically and in camera. In a genre that’s filled with greenscreen and bad CGI, that has to be commended.
The biggest problem with Shadow Force is that Kyrah Owen is a very poorly written action lead. She is constantly making herself look like an idiot by not taking action and allowing bad guys to get the jump on her. Once would be forgivable, but it got to the point of parody. She just seemed entirely incapable of doing cool spy shit. Which is such a disservice to Kerry Washington, who is doing her damndest. But the film is constantly trying its best to make Kyrah look like an idiot, resulting in even her triumphs landing with a thud. Meanwhile, Isaac’s big character development is that he thought he lost a step with his shooting, but he’s actually still a great shot. What a journey.
I really enjoyed Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who gives the film a bit of life. I’ll always love these “ride or die” type characters, and she fits the role well. And her pairing with Method Man works well. But it’s getting to the point where I feel like films need to stop having Mark Strong as their bad guy. It’s just too obvious, and he doesn’t stray far from his usual schtick. He’s too good of an actor to be typecast into such a basic villain role. His obsession with Kyrah feels underdeveloped and more like they threw it in last minute. I expected there to be a bit more personality amongst the slew of assassins, but they’re all practically faceless/nameless. Feels like such a wasted opportunity.
I found myself completely unable to get invested in Shadow Force. All I really wanted was some fun action, but those few moments are so abbreviated that I struggle to even call this an action movie. Your film really lives and dies on your lead, and they just made Kyrah too inept at even the most basic of action hero qualities. They try a Mr. and Mrs. Smith bit with the spy couple, but it just does not work in any way, as there’s no heat between them. This feels like a classic tale of too many cooks in the kitchen, resulting in little focus or purpose.
SHADOW FORCE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON MAY 9TH, 2025.
