No one would shame you if you were a bit reluctant to devote your time to the latest big-budget action endeavor from Netflix. Their originals, which usually feature big stars leading the charge, are often entertaining in the moment and forgettable once you’ve decided on your next watch. For every Extraction or its highly entertaining sequel, there is a Red Notice waiting for you to use it to pass the time and nothing more. Oddly enough, Red Notice featured Gal Gadot and she’s also front and center in their latest attempt at a franchise, Heart of Stone. Gadot is more than capable of playing a character worth building a world around but Heart of Stone suffers from many of the problems that a lot of these Netflix releases face. It’s an entertaining way to spend two hours but the familiarity of the project ensures that it won’t have much life beyond trending at the top of their charts during its opening weekend.
Gadot plays Rachel Stone, a smart, strong, yet lonely personality that is a dual agent for both MI6 and a more secretive global peacekeeping agency called the Charter. The Charter is so advanced in their practices and use of high-tech artificial intelligence that they tend to be one step ahead of their enemies. Having infiltrated an MI6 team that is under siege by a mysterious hacker, Stone has to use all of her impressive skills to stay one step ahead in the deadly world of intrigue and espionage. There is also the loss of the Charter’s most valuable asset, “The Heart,” which must be kept from falling into the wrong hands.
Directed by Tom Harper from a screenplay written by Allison Schroeder and Greg Rucka (who is no stranger to Netflix having written The Old Guard), you can tell that all involved are relishing creating a central character and world not attached to an established IP. Moviegoers are constantly stating that they’re craving originality so this new feature at least has that working in its favor. Rachel Stone is an original creation and as played by Gadot, she’s engaging enough to hold our attention and, as she’s proven time and time again, she’s more than believable in the film’s action scenes. She also has internal conflict that makes her more than a series of action sequences. She wants connections but the nature of her job prevents her from making last relationships. Kudos to the writers for attempting to give her a bit more depth than what’s on the surface. The problem is that the situation built around her doesn’t feel all that new.
Heart of Stone, despite its desire to be original, is heavily influenced by Bond and the Mission: Impossible franchise. There is a sameness to a lot of globetrotting (the film was shot in Italy, London, Iceland, and Portugal) and the action scenes, while providing passable thrills, don’t excite in the same way as the aforementioned franchises. The best representation of one of the action sequences takes place during the film’s first five minutes which features Gadot parachuting through a snowy landscape following the conclusion of one of her missions. The CGI leaves a little to be desired but it’s an exhilarating enough opening to set the tone for the rest of the film. Unfortunately, subsequent action sequences don’t break any new ground and feature by-the-numbers shootouts, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat. On the plus side, the opening title sequence is visually appealing in its approach and feels like a more modern twist on the opening titles from a Bond movie.
The central premise also lands on the more generic side. Maybe it’s hard for the spy action thriller genre to break any new ground but as you watch Heart of Stone, you’ll feel like you’ve seen this all before. There is nothing new about dangerous missions that involve individuals trying to prevent potential world-crumbling assets from getting into enemy hands. In the case of “The Heart,” it’s a weapon that can hack into anywhere including banks, cell phones, and other personal intel that is so powerful that it can virtually predict the future. As one character puts it, “If you can own The Heart, you own the world.” There is a sense of fear that goes along with the idea of such a weapon but in the world of film, it feels like these plot devices have been explored in spy movies of the past so it’s easy to predict the trajectory of its importance and what our heroes and foes will do to get a hold of it.
To the film’s credit, the story does take several moments to develop its characters rather than surrounding them with wall-to-wall action. Take the expert hacker played by Alia Bhatt in her Hollywood film debut. At first, it seems like she’s going to be some villainous counterpart to Rachel Stone but the script gives her a bit more layers that suggest her intentions aren’t as end-of-the-world dominance as the people she’s working with. In many ways, she’s in the same lonely spot that Rachel finds herself in due to her chosen profession, and that makes for some interesting character-building moments between the two characters.
This is certainly Gadot’s show although she’s adequately supported. Other than Bhatt, Jamie Dornan gets to shed off his Fifty Shades of Grey baggage as Parker, the head of the MI6 who has more than a few surprises up his sleeve. He and Gadot share an easygoing chemistry that morphs throughout the film in one of the few instances of the movie that you might not see coming. In addition to Dornan, Sophie Okonedo, Matthias Schweighöfer, and Glenn Close, in a bit of a surprising cameo, join in on the fun.
There is an importance to this film that can’t be denied. Gadot was attracted to the project because, unlike the world of Bond, Mission: Impossible, and Jason Bourne, this is a spy mission with a female placed squarely in the lead. Also serving as a producer, Gadot has given herself a role worthy of her charisma and talent, but you just wish more time was spent developing a more original idea. Heart of Stone works during its runtime but there is nothing about it that justifies potential franchise building. Even though Netflix will surely build it should millions decided to watch.
Heart of Stone will be available to stream on Netflix on August 11, 2023.
There is an importance to this film that can't be denied. Gadot was attracted to the project because, unlike the world of Bond, Mission: Impossible, and Jason Bourne, this is a spy mission with a female placed squarely in the lead. Also serving as a producer, Gadot has given herself a role worthy of her charisma and talent, but you just wish more time was spent developing a more original idea. Heart of Stone works during its runtime but there is nothing about it that justifies potential franchise building. Even though Netflix will surely build it should millions decided to watch.
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GVN Rating 6
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Hello! My name is Gaius Bolling: movie, TV, and pop culture junkie! The industry has been in my veins since I was a kid and I have carried that on through adulthood. I attended Los Angeles Film Academy and participated in their screenwriting and editing program. From there, I have learned to hone my skills in the world of entertainment journalism. Some of my favorite genres include horror, action, and drama and I hope to share my love of all of this with you.