Kevin Wignall (novel); John Brancato & Michael Ferris (screenplay)
Sam Worthington, Odeya Rush, Allen Leech, Amy Landecker, Martin Compston, Veronica Echegui
This review contains plot , so reader’s please be aware! Lucas (SAM WORTHINGTON) is a solitary assassin hired to kill a young woman, Ella (ODEYA RUSH). When Lucas can’t bring himself to pull the trigger, the plan falls apart, setting in a motion a twisted game of cat and mouse with his one employer, the rich and egomaniac Richard Addison (ALLEN LEECH). Now, both are marked for death and forced to form an uneasy alliance. The pair are relentlessly pursued across Europe dodging other assassins as Lucas has a price on his head and Ella has the key to money her father stole from Addison. While I won’t go as far to say was a surprise considering its direct-to-video status, I will say that it’s at the very least a passably entertaining thriller, one in which Sam Worthington may not deliver a amazing performance, but his Lucas assassin character being emotional reserved works well for the much maligned actor, no longer Hollywood’s next great star following a stint of box office, and critical, flops. Odeya Rush on the other hand is probably the highlight; she might not have gotten the material to utilize a ton of talent, but she was the standout. The supporting cast are more less fillers. You’ve got the appropriately named Allen Leech as the film’s primary, and rather weak, villain; Amy Lendecker, who played Dr. Bruner in , portrays a corrupt U.S. government agent; and Spanish-born actress Veronica Echegui is a fellow assassin who helps Lucas before turning on him and to her credit, Echegui actually isn’t half bad for such limited screen time. Jonathan Mostow directs , if the name sounds familiar, his claim to fame, as director’s go anyway, was 2003’s , and while that film was a big letdown, I’ve found Mostow to be a serviceable director given subpar scripts (as demonstrated by and ) while 1997’s , when I last saw it many years ago, was a solid little thriller. So with that, it’s kind of nice to see him go back to the basics. There’s nothing new with the plot, though the added element of making an assassin also a junkie was rather interesting, albeit it didn’t go very far as, being pushed to quit by Lucas’ new ward, didn’t exactly ring true. Yes, he goes through painful withdraws, but seemed to get past it with little repercussions, but I suppose in the name of quicker pacing, they skipped over the recovery stage. But in any case, clocking in at a speedy 91-minutes (less with credits), might not be the most memorable thriller to come out but I did find it rather entertaining based mostly on its young star, Odeya Rush, while Sam Worthington makes for a fine lead, nothing more. At the very least, this is probably worthy of a rental, but if you’re on the fence, Netflix would be a good option as well. |
This release comes with a matted . Inside is a redemption code for the copy. (11:08; HD) – This is your standard making-of featurette and includes on-location interviews with the cast and crew as they discuss the characters. looks at the various filming locations across Europe. examines the vehicular stunt work. – , , , , |
Presented in 1080p high-definition and a 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio, looks fine in HD, detail is fairly good especially in close-ups while the more distant shots tend to be on the softer side. Colors are generally bright during the daylight scenes; nighttime scenes, though, have that distinctive – and cheap – day-for-night appearance, which is a bit stark in high-def. But otherwise, and considering a somewhat low budget (reportedly $17 million), it’s a rather standard looking picture that won’t wow but doesn’t look terrible either. |
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track offers crisp and clean dialogue levels mainly through the center channel. When the action does manage to pick up, primarily with gunfire, the depth is on display with nice usage of the front channels while the rear speakers are relegated for ambient noise and a generic (i.e. forgettable) score by Federico Jusid ( ). |
Overall, no, isn’t exactly a memorable suspense-drama or anything and Sam Worthington doesn’t exactly turn in a strong performance, meaning par for the course for the actor, but I did think the young Odeya Rush was a standout and I was moderately entertained from beginning to end. That said, this is probably at best worth a rental. The Blu-ray release has good video/audio transfers while the features aren’t substantial though better than nothing… |
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"a redemptive story of faith and forgiveness".
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Miscellaneous Immorality: Man with alcohol problem gets pastor’s young son to say nothing to father about his problem, but it’s rebuked and resolved positively.
A CARPENTER’S PRAYER is an inspiring example of God’s faithfulness to redeem even the most unlikely of people.
Pastor Doyle Clark pastors a local church in Michigan during the 1970s. Despite their humble means, the Clark family is full of love and trust that God will provide. Pastor Clark wants to pursue God’s calling on his life of uniting four smaller churches under the roof of a new building. However, when a pastor from another church backs out, Pastor Clark is desperate to find the money to continue the project.
Another problem arises when one of the contractors, Lloyd, has a heart attack. Now, Pastor Doyle not only needs money, he also needs a carpenter who can fill in for Lloyd.
Meanwhile, at a bar in Detroit, a drunk named Glenn Frank plays his guitar. Glenn is promptly kicked out and taken to jail. Glenn’s sister picks him up and offers him a place in her home in the same town as Pastor Clark and his family. Despite his vices, Glenn tells Pastor Clarke he can fill in as carpenter. Better yet, he can work for free because he still gets paychecks from his old job.
Thankful for Glenn’s act of kindness, the Clarks take Glenn in and shows him the love of God by providing him with community and meals. Glenn grows close with Pastor Clark’s oldest son, Lance, whose greatest wish in life is to learn to play the guitar.
Glenn makes the boy promise not to tell his father about his drinking problem. In return, Glenn will teach Lance how to play the guitar. Lance is conflicted about lying to his father, but he agrees.
However, Glenn’s reliance on alcohol only grows as memories from his past bombard him with grief. The town begins to question Clark’s relationship with Glenn, especially when he starts to put his own life and other people’s lives in danger.
While Pastor Clark begins to lose hope, Lance trusts that God still has a plan for Glenn, his family and the church.
A CARPENTER’S PRAYER is a rousing true story about how God has the power to redeem, the importance of showing God’s love to those in need, and God’s provision despite our circumstances. Along with the movie’s overarching themes of redemption and God’s love, there are many encouraging examples of local ministry and faithful pastoral leadership such as prayer, baptism and worship.
Despite some heavier, adult themes, A CARPENTER’S PRAYER is an encouraging, inspiring movie many families can enjoy together. Due to some depictions of drunkenness, MOVIEGUIDE® does advise caution for children.
COMMENTS
The Hunter's Prayer. In " Stardust Memories ," Woody Allen described his mother's cooking as putting food through "the deflavorizing machine." "The Hunter's Prayer" is like a Luc Besson film put through a deflavorizing machine to remove any element that could be distinctive, energetic, or fun. The most over-used, over-wrought ...
Jun 9, 2017 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk The modest scope of B-movie action thriller The Hunter's Prayer can be gauged by the fact that its big-time criminal tycoon (played by Downton Abbey ...
The action falters a bit when attention shifts to the rocky relationship between Lucas and Ella, but cinematographer Jose David Montero and editor Ken Blackwell succeed in getting things back on ...
Despite treading far-too-familiar territory, The Hunter's Prayer is a surprisingly solid action thriller that should appeal to fans of Luc Besson's earlier movies. Full Review | Jun 8, 2017
An Excellent Thriller. HealthyLove 5 June 2017. The Hunter's Prayer is a British-American action thriller film directed by Jonathan Mostow, based on Kevin Wignall's novel "For the Dogs." "The Hunter's Prayer" follows Lucas (Worthington), a solitary assassin, hired to kill a young woman, Ella, (Rush), who is unaware that her family's ...
Film Review: 'The Hunter's Prayer'. A routine but reasonably diverting B-movie about a conscience-stricken hit man and the girl he opts not to kill. Echoes of "Leon: The Professional ...
The Hunter's Prayer: Directed by Jonathan Mostow. With Martin Compston, Tina Maskell, Eben Young, Stephanie Dooley. An assassin helps a young woman avenge the death of her family.
Review: The Hunter's Prayer. Jonathan Mostow luxuriates in the pure surface pleasures of the his many taut, formally dynamic action sequences. Near the halfway point of Jonathan Mostow's The Hunter's Prayer, Lucas (Sam Worthington), a hired assassin, sits down for a bite to eat with Ella (Odeya Rush), the teenage girl whose life he spared ...
Movies · Reviews 'The Hunter's Prayer' Review: Sam Worthington Hits Some Familiar Beats. By Rob Hunter · Published on June 8th, 2017 ... The Hunter's Prayer is a fast, forgettable watch ...
The Hunter's Prayer is a 2017 action crime film directed by Jonathan Mostow, based on the 2004 novel For the Dogs by Kevin Wignall. The film tells about a conflicted hitman helping a young woman to avenge the death of her family. The film stars Sam Worthington, Odeya Rush, Allen Leech, and Amy Landecker.Filming began on August 12, 2014, in Yorkshire, England.
THE HUNTER'S PRAYER (2017) review. June 8, 2017. tags: Allen Leech, ... Nearly a decade after his comic book adaptation/sci-fi/Bruce Willis flick "Surrogates" comes "The Hunter's Prayer", the latest movie from director Jonathan Mostow. This is the guy who was given the keys to Ahnuld's Harley with "Terminator 3: Rise of the ...
The Hunter's Prayer - Metacritic. Summary Lucas (Sam Worthington), a solitary assassin, is hired to kill a young woman, Ella, (Odeya Rush). When he can't bring himself to pull the trigger the plan falls apart, setting in motion a twisted game of cat and mouse. Now both are marked for death and forced to form an uneasy alliance.
The car chases are strong, and the gunfights are above average. Strictly taken as an action movie, though, The Hunter's Prayer has solid kinetics available. The Technics: With a slightly larger budget and a more experienced cast and crew than most, The Hunter's Prayer looks, sounds, and flows terrifically. Mostow gifts The Hunter's Prayer ...
An assassin forges an unlikely partnership with one of his targets: a woman seeking revenge for the murder of her family. Jonathan Mostow. Kevin Wignall. John Brancato. Michael Ferris. Gimly. Join the Community. The Basics. About TMDB.
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REVIEW: Given the premise, audiences won't be surprised to learn that THE HUNTER'S PRAYER, with its "hitman with a heart of gold" twist adds absolutely nothing new to the genre. It's ...
The modest scope of B-movie action thriller The Hunter's Prayer can be gauged by the fact that its big-time criminal tycoon (played by Downton Abbey's Allen Leech) has his international headquarters in Leeds. Even so, Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow whips up a fair degree of excitement as Sam Worthington's repentant assassin strives to protect his erstwhile target, Odeya Rush's 16 ...
Echoes of "Leon: The Professional" and the Jason Bourne franchise resound throughout "The Hunter's Prayer," a briskly paced and instantly forgettable cut-and-paste thriller about a ...
Visit the movie page for 'The Hunter's Prayer' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. Watch trailers, exclusive interviews, and movie review. Your guide to ...
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An assassin helps a young woman avenge the death of her family. This high-octane thriller focuses on Lucas (Sam Worthington), a solitary assassin hired to kill a young woman, Ella (Odeya Rush). When he can't bring himself to pull the trigger, the plan falls apart, setting in motion a twisted game of cat-and-mouse.
Review by Mark Dujsik | June 8, 2017. Here's an action thriller that seems to exist to define the idea of middlebrow entertainment. The Hunter's Prayer is too familiar and formulaic to work in any significant or even trivial way, but it's so inconsequential that it's impossible to fault the movie too much. It's bland in a, well, bland sort of way.
The Hunter's Prayer isn't exactly a memorable suspense-drama or anything and Sam Worthington doesn't exactly turn in a strong performance, meaning par for the course for the actor, but I did think the young Odeya Rush was a standout and I was moderately entertained.. The Hunter's Prayer (2017) Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Drama Lionsgate | R - 91 min. - $24.99 | August 8, 2017
A CARPENTER'S PRAYER is a rousing true story about how God has the power to redeem, the importance of showing God's love to those in need, and God's provision despite our circumstances. Along with the movie's overarching themes of redemption and God's love, there are many encouraging examples of local ministry and faithful pastoral ...