Victor Maynard is a middle-aged, solitary assassin who lives to please his formidable mother, despite his own peerless reputation for lethal efficiency. His professional routine is interrupted when he finds himself drawn to one of his intended victims. After sparing her life, he unexpectedly acquires a young apprentice. Believing Victor to be a private detective, his two new companions tag along, while he attempts to thwart the murderous attentions of his unhappy client.
An eccentric little comic thriller filled with enough laughs that I was mostly willing to overlook the fact that it makes virtually no sense as a thriller.
– Lou Lumenick,
New York Post,
29 Oct 2010
fresh:
There have been a lot of black comedies about assassins lately -- there have been a few just this year -- but Wild Target may be the first one to contain genuine laughs.
– Stephen Whitty,
Newark Star-Ledger,
29 Oct 2010
rotten:
Practically a text book in how ugly things can get when you don't have the right, light touch for this sort of thing.
– Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Nov 2010
rotten:
It's never a good idea to cast Bill Nighy as a buttoned-down hit man.
– Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
12 Nov 2010
fresh:
The film has to fly by its wits -- and its witty lines -- and by the charm of its stars. This it does, just barely.