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I'm not good at math, but I'd like to attempt a little bit of an equation to describe the video-game-to-film Hitman:

The Bourne Films + gore -- believability -- sympathy for the protagonist + "video game-heightened" reality + scores of religious iconography = Hitman

I think I've gotten the hang of this math stuff with this particular equation. And although this description gives you a good idea of where Hitman stands in relationship to other films of its ilk, it doesn't tell you about the quality or thematic depth of the film.

So, is Hitman any good, and does it have anything to say? Well, let's be honest. Hitman is a film based on a video game. This is not Casino Royale, or any of the Bourne films&ellips; but it is Shakespeare compared to other video game adaptations that I have seen. The film is populated with an international cast, as well as produced by one. Xavier Gens, a Frechman, directed the film. And interestingly, the film never once sets itself on American soil. This international quality probably helped Hitman sell its hyper-realism.

The film tries to explore a number of classic spy and assassin elements, with very mixed results. One aspect of assassin films that is almost mandatory is to highlight an element of loneliness and isolation in the hearts of these men. But the flip side of that coin is the resourcefulness and ingenuity these loners develop. This is a romantic and fascinating thing to observe, which is one reason the spy and assassin genre of entertainment continues to intrigue us. Here, that element is explored in a paper thin manner. Check out The Day of the Jackal for the ultimate in lonely assassin mystique.

There is also a wonderfully frequented theme which has best been explored in the Jason Bourne films, where the "hunter becomes the hunted." Agent 47, our main character played by Timothy Olyphant, is the best of the best in an organization known only as&ellips; well&ellips; The Organization. When we meet him he completes a "Bond-like" introduction mission in Africa, and quickly bounces to another job in Russia in which he gets set up by an unknown culprit. We spend the rest of the film watching Agent 47 unleash vengeance on those who set him up while simultaneously saving a girl, striking as many poses as Madonna, and firing more hand cannons than Keanu Reeves' Neo. The question winks at us throughout the film: who really is the hunter and who is the hunted?

Another espionage mainstay, and one which drives me crazy, is the political body double. I won't give too much away here, but the plot of Hitman involves a politician with a body double, and the conspiracy which swirls around that. What is with this concept? We've seen it just a few weeks ago in Vantage Point, and we've seen it consistently throughout political thrillers. I just have a hard time buying this concept; is anyone else with me? In this day of digital crispness, and images beamed across the globe, (not to mention Photoshop) aren't we becoming a little bit too sophisticated to believe that a politician could really pull off a body double? If George Bush ever sent a body double into a press conference&ellips; do you honestly believe anyone in the room, or across the nation, would fall for it? Okay, I'll get off that soapbox now.

Finally, there is the ultimate criminal-film thematic mainstay: religious iconography. Criminals in film and fiction seem to surround themselves in the images of faith. More often than not, it is an effective thematic device to contrast dark or evil men with the sign of the cross, or an association with the Holy. Hitman is saturated with crosses, religious symbolism, and catch-phrases like "Trust unto God, and He shall direct your path." This juxtaposition is best utilized in the famous baptism sequence in The Godfather, and it has been almost constant in crime films ever since.

Here we have a hitman who was raised in a quasi-religious institution, born and bred to be a contract killer. This man is our protagonist, but we've come to learn in this day and age that a protagonist may not be a good person. Interestingly, this is Agent 47's quest from the outset: to discover if he is a good man, or even to discover what a good man is. Agent 47 has never known anything but violence and killing, and when his "family" disowns him, all he can do is kill, and ask questions.

It is to Agent 47's credit that he begins to ask such a core question: Am I a good man? In that sense, this film's religious iconography somehow fits. Agent 47, and the director of Hitman, inundate us with crosses to encourage us to ask what qualities a "good man" must possess. But I'll leave it up to the readers, or maybe the Most High, to decide if Agent 47 is a good man or not.

Special Features

• In The Crosshairs: A behind-the-scenes featurette.
• Digital Hits: A discussion of the original video game and its impact on this film.
• Instruments of Destruction: An in-depth look at the guns used in the film.
• Settling the Score: A discussion with the composer, Geoff Zanelli.
• Deleted Scenes: Including the ultra-depressing alternate ending.
• Gag Reel
• Trailers

The special features were helpful for me, as a non-video game initiated viewer. I was able to get a feel for the themes and purpose behind the original game. The rest of these features are par for the course, and we are probably better off on this particular film without a director's commentary. Because again&ellips; this is a video game movie!