The Misfits (2021)

Directed by: Renny Harlin | 93 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: Pierce Brosnan, Tim Roth, Nick Cannon, Rami Jaber, Jamie Chung, Hermione Corfield, Mike Angelo, Qais Qandil, Martin J. Corrado, Robert Henny, Samer al Masri, Gonzalo Menendez, Ahmed El-Mawas

You don’t have to go through extensive analysis to understand what attracted Pierce Brosnan to the screenplay of ‘The Misfits’. The role of a smart, but oh so charming thief, who knows everything about exclusive watches, for example, is perfect for him. It’s a small step from James Bond, who is admittedly on the right side of the law, to the criminal Richard Pace, but the character mostly resembles Thomas Crown, who met his match in Rene in 1999’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Russo’s Catherine Banning. A new box-office success has certainly been awarded to the still active Brosnan. With the renowned Renny Harlin (in the nineties at his peak) in the director’s chair, this action film must be fine, right? Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

‘The Misfits’ is about a group of modern Robin Hoods mixed together. As it should be (see the ‘Ocean’s’ films and the countless films inspired by them), each of them is equipped with a specific skillset. Some people don’t need to learn anything about fireworks, others can easily take out a bunch of tough guys with their own hands. They have names like Wick (no John); Prince, Ringo and—how casually—Violet. An unnecessarily boring and at the same time confusing introduction introduces the audience to the members of The Misfits. Voice-over Ringo introduces everyone – every now and then he makes a nice comment, but otherwise that voice is just very distracting. Meanwhile, we also see Richard Pace being released from prison and learn that the world is apparently full of prisons, all of which are owned by one powerful man: Schultz (Tim Roth, who barely shows up here).

And that Schultz, that’s what the mission is all about in ‘The Misfits’. In fact, he belongs behind bars, because he has ties to terrorists. With his help, terrorist actions are financed. And the Misfits want to put a stop to that. There’s a special reason why Richard Pace is being brought in, not that it really comes as a surprise once you’re in the movie.

It’s not Brosnan’s charisma. The other cast members are adequate enough for a film of this caliber. However, the dialogues are of a questionable level and you can hardly speak of a real plot. After the introduction, we don’t get to know the Misfits any further and the motives of the terrorists also remain shrouded in mystery. It never gets really exciting anywhere; there’s not really anything at stake and you know the Misfits will succeed in their mission anyway. Even the thick hints that one of them will betray the rest can easily be ignored; this is just not that kind of movie.

With very low expectations there might still be some fun to be had in ‘The Misfits’, but the film contains too little action (apart from a few nice car chases) and too little story to keep you interested. The uninspired dialogues (“Are you serious?” “With explosives, I’m always serious” or “I don’t date men, I kill them”) destroy more than they add anything. Perhaps this film would have been more appropriate in the 1990s.