"The Assignment" Movie Review

The Assignment is one of those films that will most likely be deemed as too controversial or maybe even insulting. It's a difficult film to review, especially in today's world, because the subject matter is of a very sensitive nature. I've been asking myself how to go about writing this because I don't want to upset anyone but at the same time I feel like this kind of film shouldn't be taken to heart among the transgender community. It's an action film and action films rarely think. The writer seemed to just be trying to think of a situation that might be horrifying for straight men and, yes, this would be a horrifying situation for them. Really, it would be for anyone. So, now that I've reassured everyone that I am only here to review a film and not to offend anyone, let's get on with the review.

The Assignment follows hitman Frank Kitchen who is double-crossed by gangsters and handed over to a rogue surgeon who only goes by the alias The Doctor. The Doctor gives Frank an assignment, or more accurately a reassignment, turning him into a woman. Naturally, when Frank wakes to discover he has a new body, and lacking some very important parts to him, he sets out to get revenge on The Doctor.

The film has your basic action-movie plot, just with a twist. Hitman makes gangsters angry, gangsters get mad and take revenge, hitman gets mad and takes revenge on gangsters. It's a pretty flimsy story and I honestly felt the whole sex-change part of the plot was wildly unnecessary. Why couldn't they have just killed his girlfriend or threatened a family member or something? Either way, the film's saving grace was its two lead women Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. Sigourney was downright diabolical as The Doctor and I would love to see her be a villainess again in the future....and in a better film. Michelle proves that she's willing to undergo some serious changes in her methods in order to try to make a film better.

I will say that the prosthetics used on Michelle to make her look like a man were well-done and very convincing. It's probably a good thing that they were only needed for a short amount of time because I imagine that beard was pretty itchy.

Overall, it was one of those films that I liked yet kinda didn't. It didn't really do anything to hurt the public's view on trans people but at the same time it didn't really help either. Most of the film felt like it could have been approached better but the budget restraints wouldn't allow it. Michelle will bounce back with Fate of the Furious and Sigourney will bounce back just because she's Sigourney Weaver and a legendary leading lady. I give the film a total of 2 out of 4.