When the subject is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, I prefer to watch the movie regardless of what it tells. She is an actress to be admired and one of my favorite names to watch in movies. Especially if it is in an action movie, I count as I already liked the movie. Since the day I met her at Scott Pilgram, I have been watching her every movie with admire. Kate was a movie only she could save. Although the film, which director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan sat on the director’s chair after 5 years, is not a movie that deserves praise, but it is definitely a fun movie to watch. The course of enjoyment is determined by the director and of course the queen of blue’s, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Let’s briefly touch on the subject… Kate is a successful assassin in her job. But one day, she incurs the wrath of a vengeance from years ago, and she becomes the victim of a poison that will surely kill her within 24 hours. Kate, who spends her last hours searching for those who poisoned her, rumbles all of Tokyo. Leaving a huge river of corpses afterward, Kate doesn’t stop until she takes her revenge and kills the one who poisoned her.
Kate is the second female assassin story to aired on Netflix this year alongside Gunpowder Milkshake. I had some comments for Gunpowder Milkshake; I said it seems like the weakest link when we compare it with the other examples. After Kate, my opinion changed. The weakest link is now Kate. Because no matter how cartoonish Gunpowder Milkshake looks, its story is definitely better than Kate. Kate is a simple movie that is based entirely on a revenge story and promises us nothing but action. Even the twist at the end isn’t impressive enough, it’s pretty predictable. For this reason, I cannot say anything extra about the story of the film beyond the ordinary.
But let’s talk about how well does the film deliver what it promises? In this regard, I have to say that the movie is much better than Gunpowder Milkshake. The Mary Elizabeth Winstead factor prevails here. I wrote specifically for Gunpowder Milkshake, when the action is spoofed, all the magic of the movie will look fake. The choreography needs to be fast and impressive. Kate is definitely a good example of action theme. The action is at its best with the use of camera by director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. The director’s use of camera in the film reminded me a bit of Gareth Evans’ The Raid. For this reason, I can say that i got along much better with the action of the movie.
The only feature that distinguishes Kate from others is that movie does not think about continuing. Although films such as Gunpowder Milkshake and Atomic Blonde leave the door open for the sequel, Kate manages to be a movie that can end in one and only piece. Considering that everything is stubbornly kept up these days, Kate deserves a commendation for being a one-shot.
Bottom line… Kate; Although it has the weakest story amongst the examples, it is a satisfying movie with its action. The contribution of the director is very important in action films. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, who got off to a good start with The Huntsman, once again shows that he understands the action theme with Kate. If he doesn’t disappear for another 5 years, he may be a director we can talk to often in the future. Finally, I close my criticism with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She is one of those rare women where the action suits her so well. She always manages to be perfect. The only problem is her movie selections. If she manages to choose films that are much stronger in terms of story, her great acting will not go to waste. Because like this, her fate becomes like Kate. With one-shot movies, her character always dies at the end of the movie.
Cast & Crew
director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
writers: Umair Aleem
starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, Michiel Huisman
USA | 2021 | 106 MINUTES |