2007 saw the release of Hitman, a movie adaptation of the beloved stealth video game series, but it felt like a generic action film that simply used the Hitman namesake to get butts in seats. It was then rebooted in 2015 with Hitman: Agent 47, and that even failed to reach the low bar that the original set. Ultimately, both movies lacked what makes the video game series so unique.
However, there are many elements to the two movies that were faithful to the video games, whether it was Agent 47's strange back story, the violence, or all of the iconic weapons. Though, being faithful to the lore of the series might have been at the expense of an engaging narrative. The sci-fi nature of Agent 47 being a clone was one of the many criticisms of the movies.
Got Wrong: The Action
One of the many huge appeals of the Hitman video game series is that it goes against the grain of all the popular first-person shooters and battle royales that are on the market. The game relies heavily on stealth, watching patterns of the NPCs, and lurking in the shadows.
That's why it makes absolutely no sense that both Hitman movies are full of literally explosive action sequences. At the end of Hitman: Agent 47 a helicopter crashes through a skyscraper. And throughout the whole movie, Agent 47's fighting capabilities are on an unbelievable level too. He's a martial arts genius, which was never the case in the video games.
Got Right: "Ave Maria"
Though for the better part of both movies, they're filled with generic action soundtracks, one detail of the game the first Hitman movie nails is playing the unofficial theme tune of the series.
"Ave Maria" is a beautiful classical composition from Austrian composer Franz Schubert, and the music has been featured in the video games ever since the opening of Hitman: Blood Money. The reason why it works so well is that the tear-jerking music contrasts so well with all the violence. However, it, unfortunately, doesn't appear in Agent 47.
Got Wrong: No Creative Murders
Few hitmen are more creative than Agent 47. The games have seen him crushing targets in a grape presser at a vineyard, and even shooting the bottom of a glass hot tub at a mountainside resort so everyone falls through. Unfortunately, the movies don't continue the creativity.
There is just one murder in the movies that could be considered creative, which is when a couple of enemies are sucked into an airplane engine in Hitman: Agent 47. But even then, that little trick has been done to death in the movies, whether it's in the comedy Game Night or even the kids' movie The Incredibles. In fact, with there being other movies to watch for Hitman fans, most of those movies are much more creative in their kills.
Got Right: The Weapons
Outside of the creative murders that didn't happen, each hitman at least had all of the iconic weapons in their respective movies. Many unsuspecting people who got in the agents' ways were choked to death with fiber wire, and government agents were shot from hundreds of meters away with the trusty sniper rifle.
But more than anything, where would the hitman be without his trusty twin "silverballer" silencer handguns? Those three weapons are a gamer's best friend when playing through the series, and they serve the characters in the movies well too.
Got Wrong: Lack Of Comedy
It might come as a surprise to people who haven't played the games, but the Hitman series is full of comedy. For example, at one point in Hitman 2, Agent 47 pretends to be a real estate agent, and he has to attempt to sell a house with his alien-like descriptions of each room.
Agent 47 does have that emotionless characteristic in the movies, but it's never once used for comedic value, which is such a missed opportunity. Both Timothy Olyphant and Rupert Friend portray the characters way too seriously. It's hardly surprising in Olyphant's case as he hated making the Hitman movie, and he's on record as saying he only did it to cover his mortgage.
Got Right: The Backstory
Usually, when it comes to movie adaptations of video games, the story and lore are significantly changed and it barely feels like the same property. However, that's not the case with the Hitman movies, and the films lean heavily on the fact that Agent 47 is a clone.
Interestingly, the movies even dive into big philosophical questions when Agent 47 struggles with the concept of not knowing where he comes from. Hitman: Agent 47 also follows the story of the character protecting a girl who's from the same agency, which is taken from Hitman: Absolution, one of the best Hitman games according to Metacritic.
Got Wrong: Lack Of Disguises
Another of the Hitman series' unique selling points is the creative disguises that Hitman wears to enter locations and get closer to the target without raising suspicions or look like he's trespassing. It's such a crucial element to the games, but in the films, Agent 47 wears a disguise once per movie. And even then, it's something unimaginative like a guard.
There's even comedy in the disguises in the games too, which completely flew over the studio heads. Some of the few hilarious disguises Agent 47 has worn include a hippie, Santa, a chipmunk mascot for a hot sauce brand, and even a vampire magician. When it comes to the disguises, Hitman is an entertainment goldmine that the movies completely missed out on.
Got Right: The Violence
Video games generally introduce players to violence at a much younger age than movies do, and that's largely because of how MPAA's guidelines are much stricter. Because of this, most movie adaptations of video games smooth the rough edges when it comes to violence, but not Hitman.
The Hitman movies, especially the first one, embrace violence. There's no way that the films could have been anything less than R-rated, but Hitman even pushes that rating to its limit. At one point in the movie, a head literally explodes, and few movies actually depict what a mess a sniper rifle can make.
Got Wrong: The Emotion
In both Hitman movies, Agent 47 is so emotional. His emotions might be fair when his patience is tested, but that's the only time Agent 47 has ever seemed human. Though the movies' depiction of him being so socially inept is accurate, he was never so emotional.
In a couple of the games, the character does slowly learn the difference between right and wrong, and he does grow a little empathy, but that's completely different from being so overly passionate. The character basically falls in love in Hitman, and he seems to be so in touch with his emotions from the get-go.
Got Right: Diana
In the video game series, Diana Burnwood is Agent 47's handler. She explains every objective to the hitman and goes into detail about the target's backstory. The two characters usually have a great back-and-forth, but she was absent from the first Hitman movie.
However, Diana did appear in Hitman: Agent 47, and it was an accurate portrayal of her too. Even when she wasn't on screen, she could still be heard describing the targets. But even then, Diana is usually the second most important character after 47, but she's only on screen for two short scenes in the second movie.