Carnahan has proven his ability to characterize and incorporate multiple assassins in a single film, yet Shadow Force’s ranks boast no identities. Isaac and Ky’s tandem adventure could be a source of comedy, as dad has to dispatch enemies while keeping junior safe, but this idea is negligibly incorporated. Cinder’s nefarious operations under G7’s noses beg for interdepartmental tension, yet he’s a stooge-level Bond villain with rote motivations. This could all be engaging, but it’s a lukewarm take on every angle.
Carnahan’s specialty is gritty, energetic action, specifically gunfights, but Shadow Force’s tacticians are no A-Team. Isaac thwarts a bank heist as an introduction to his supersoldier skillset, but it’s 99% off-camera, as the audience sees and hears the brawl through Ry’s closed eyes and covered ears. A later car chase allows Juan Azpiroz’s cinematography to shine as Shadow Force lobs bright red flares that cut through the mountain highway’s fog, but it’s more visually appealing than thrilling. Then the film’s climactic shootout blasts holes in a claustrophobic island bungalow, which leaves no room for any impressive fight choreography. The spatial restrictions only lead to point-and-shoot dullness, plus dumbfounding damage blasts that undermine the idea that anyone on set comprehends how shotguns work.
Kerry Washington and Omar Sy are doing their best with the interspersed rom-com beats, but Shadow Force isn’t This Means War or Knight And Day. Their chemistry is adequate, but the screenplay lacks any passionate sizzle. It’s nice that the script makes Isaac the out-of-practice babysitter and lets mama be the badass, but even that schtick runs cold. Washington and Sy play their scenario way too straight, while the other performances are uninspired across the board. Da’Vine Joy Randolph (following her Holdovers Oscar win) and Method Man yuck it up as Auntie and Unc, trustworthy allies, but they’re better comedians than spy stand-ins. Mark Strong is a bargain-bin baddie who rules with an iron fist, whose only real trait is that he abuses his henchmen. Then there’s the smattering of Shadow Force agents, from rapper Krondon to Natalia Reyes, none of whom stand out in the same vests and ammo belts worn by a billion Hollywood mercenaries prior.
Shadow Force doesn’t have the decency to be anything more or less than rudimentary. It’s a broad and janky story about family over all and deadly betrayals, but never amplifies the significance of either. The details are paint-by-numbers, except Carnahan’s palette only has different shades of grey. Despite all the globe-hopping from Ibiza to Cartagena, crystal-blue seas and elaborate villas, the film’s personality is unenthusiastically one-note. Carnahan’s without his usual playbook and stuck riffing off far more competent special agent actioners, which leaves the result feeling cheap and unserious. Give this D+ Team the 2 PM filler slot on TBS during a “Deadly Lovers” marathon.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writer: Joe Carnahan, Leon Chills
Starring: Kerry Washington, Omar Sy, Mark Strong, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Cliff “Method Man” Smith
Release Date: May 9, 2025
