Criminal

Overview

Everybody wants to be Ryan Reynolds. That's not an expression of envy, but rather the plot of a growing collection of body swap movies featuring the Deadpool star. In Self/Less, an ailing real estate mogul (Ben Kingsley) transferred his consciousness into Reynold's younger, fitter body. Now, Criminal transplants the memories of Reynolds' murdered CIA agent Bill Pope into the brain of emotion-free death-row prisoner Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner).

In both cases, the obvious happens, with the older men so profoundly influenced by the new thoughts and feelings coursing through their brains that they start to question their own life choices. And in both cases, the conflict between their old ways and a fresh beginning — as signified here by the wife and child Reynolds' hero has left behind — isn't their only battle. Gun fights, chases and a host of determined bad guys also feature prominently in the predictable narratives that follow.

Indeed, if there's one thing that the London-set Criminal isn't, it's original. While Jericho's changed mental state comes courtesy of an experimental technique pioneered by neurosurgeon Dr Franks (Tommy Lee Jones), it's actually orchestrated by CIA heavy Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman), who needs to finish the mission that saw Pope lose his life. Of course Jericho isn't too keen to assist, particularly with a Spanish anarchist (Jordi Mollà), his hacker colleague (Michael Pitt) and nuclear weapon codes in the mix. Instead, he's just after a big bag of money that's been lost along the way. Or at least he is until he forms a connection with Pope's widow (Gal Gadot) and young daughter (Lara Decaro).

A Frankenstein's monster of action-thriller, espionage and Reynolds mash-ups proves the end result. In fact there's even a nod to Mary Shelley's classic novel — Criminal is ultimately a film about a despised creature given a new lease on life, after all. Sadly, writers Douglas Cook and David Weisberg (The Rock) approach the subject with minimal subtlety. The same is true of director Ariel Vromen (The Iceman), who seems like he'd have been more at home directing action films in the '90s. They didn't need nuance back then — and seesawing between loud setpieces and laid-on-thick schmaltz, Vromen doesn't want any now.

At least Costner, channeling his best Gary Busey and Nicolas Cage impressions, knows exactly the kind of film that he's in. In fact, his lead performance is fascinating to watch, with the veteran movie star doing his best to bring a little depth while powering through the often-silly dialogue. Jones and Oldman don't fare as well,  with neither actor expending much effort in their respective one-note roles. And for all his importance to the plot, Reynolds barely makes an impact. Maybe he's saving his energies for the next instalment of Being Ryan Reynolds. At this rate, there has to be another one in cinemas before too long.