‘The Enforcer’: a taciturn anti-hero

From now on, Antonio Banderas achieved public recognition in theatre, first with ‘A Chorus Line’ and now with ‘Company’; without forgetting that, at least in Spain, the interpreter is recognized both for his collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar and for titles of a certain prestige such as ‘Black Gold’, ‘Altamira’, ‘The Laundromat: Dirty Money’ or ‘Official Competition’. However, little known is the appearance of him as an action hero in the purest Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage or Liam Neeson style. Given that most of them were released in Spain directly to television, the commercial theatrical release of “The protector (The Enforcer)” attracts attention.

But don’t be fooled ‘The Protector’ is no different from other products like ‘Acts of Vengeance’, “Black Butterfly” or “Security”. In fact, it may have met the same fate as “Código Banshee,” an action title that Banderas himself released this year and went straight to VOD. And it may have happened because it is a tape of consumption so fast that the hamburgers offered by fast food are able to satisfy more.

Its premise isn’t just that it’s widely seen, a hit man becomes attached to a girl – who reminds him of the daughter he never got to raise – and she ends up in a sexual exploitation ring directed by one of the bosses of the mafia he works for, but it ends up being absurd, with a series of situations which, more illogical, are so naive, as to induce the public to abandon the story, because It’s hard to believe that a terrifying mobster would let an apprentice hitman join her for so long or that she wouldn’t have much more protection as a crime lord.

Antonio Banderas emulates Liam Neeson with a tabletop action movie

It doesn’t help either W. Peter Iliff’s screenplay appears to be done on autopilot and that, there comes a moment, when everything is improbable, as if the proposal seeks excuses to create action scenes and shots that are enough, since they are not bad, but they don’t stand out exactly either. The secondaries are overly flat, including what should end up being the hitman’s pupil, played by Mojean Aria. Only Banderas’ effort to elevate his role makes the tape not a lost cause.

‘The protector (The Enforcer)’ has the soul of a desktop action tape, of those seen on DTT channels or on the second Atresmedia or Mediaset channels. A production that will appeal only to the most coffee lovers of the action genre. Generic product of rapid consumption and easy forgetting.

Note: 4

The best: Antonio Banderas and his commendable attempt to make his character a tormented hitman tired of his trade.

Worse: It has situations that are so naïve and easy to resolve, that they’re tremendously improbable to the plot, to the point where they’re taken out of the story.