Heart of Stone

3 outta 5

Since EON productions is taking its sweet time to make another Bond movie, there’s a few off-brand alternatives like on Netflix with Heart of Stone. It sort of hits a lot of Bond movie points; there’s a world threatening device, a couple of shifting allegiances, an extended pre-credits action scene, a title credits scene with the main character going through arty looking abstract explosions and images. Even a finale action scene has swelling music that sounds suspiciously like the “Dahh dah dahh dahh!” James Bond theme. This is a mostly serviceable action spy thriller that’s about equal to some of the mid-to-low tier Bond flicks. And there’s an abundance of things exploding, or goons being punched every few minutes to keep things lively.

Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) is the stay in the van tech support to a group of MI6 spies, Yang (Jing Lusi), Bailey (Paul Ready) and Parker (Jamie Dornan). Her crew doesn’t know that Rachel is working for another, even more secretive spy agency, the Charter, led by Nomad (Sophie Okonedo). When an attempt to pick up a bad guy goes awry, Rachel saves her team from destruction, with an assist from her Charter special agent and computer expert, the Jack of Hearts (Matthias Schweighöfer). The Charter uses a complex and advanced AI computer program known as the Heart which can predict any event or hack into any system. During the mission, Rachel spots a mysterious woman, Keya (Alia Bhatt), who knows Rachel is a double-agent. Things get worse with unexpected double crosses, and Rachel being chased by a nasty killer, The Blonde (Jon Kortajarena). Even worse, the AI the Heart is stolen which could have devastating consequences for Rachel, the Charter and the entire world.

As the plot swings from one action scene to the next it could be mistaken for a Bond film. Even the almost entirely mute Blonde bad guy is like one of the mid-level Bond bad guy henchmen like Oddjob and Kortajarena glares effectively. As there are no Bond movies on Netflix, it does sort of fill a void. Rachel doesn’t really have any sort of defining personality traits like Bond. She makes a small quip here or there but nothing as pithy as Bond has done. Her entire personality seems devoted to her work, although she eventually goes against the will of the mighty overseeing AI and tries to save her friends. Gadot has lots of charisma and screen presence so just her being there makes it more engaging, and she manages to sell action scenes effectively. There’s a bit near the end of this film where Rachel admonishes the bad guy about how evil he is, and it does seem vaguely close to the “Renounce your wish” scene from Wonder Woman 1984 inasmuch the climax involves Gadot’s character badgering someone. At least in this film they throw an action scene afterwards.

There’s a lot of “in case of boredom, start an action scene” thought process here. The snowbound opening pre-credits scene features Rachel jumping off in a parachute in the snow which is very much like The Spy Who Loved Me. There is a quiet scene of the MI6 agents talking in their hideaway room which is shattered by an invasion of armed forces. One interesting, if cliché, moment is when Jack tells Rachel to leave as the AI says there’s no way of saving them, but she goes back anyway, which leads to a long chase scene with lots of cars flipping. Around here is when one of the film’s first big allegiance shifts happens as tables are turned on the competent superspy Rachel. It’s not exactly a surprise when someone turns out to be a turncoat in a spy movie but it’s more about how it is done with excellent unexpected instant bangs. There are some impressive aerial stunts throughout although some of its thunder has been stolen by the last two Mission: Impossible movies doing basically the same bit.

Lusi and Ready as the two MI6 members oblivious to Rachel’s true allegiance are basically there to be buddy exposition characters until everything goes haywire. Dornan’s Parker is sort of the generic other guy heroic lead but eventually Dornan gets to be interesting. Okonedo as Rachel’s boss, Nomad, has strong similar vibes to when Judi Dench played M for two Bonds. Nomad mostly glowers about Rachel breaking the rules, as bosses often do in spy movies. Schweighöfer moves holograms around while he reads off the probability of the mission failing when Rachel goes against the mission parameters. As the mysterious woman, Bhatt is an agent of chaos near the start but she becomes more dull as the film goes on. Even Glenn Close pops up with noted character actor B.D. Wong for an exposition dump scene halfway through the film although her next scene is her being dropped down an elevator shaft so at least she gets a memorable exit. None of the other actors in the film ever get close outshining the lead, Gadot.

Heart of Stone doesn’t reinvigorate the action spy genre, nor is it particularly impressive considering the spectacle in any Bond or Mission: Impossible film. But it is an okay spy action film that delivers action and twists at a decent clip and Gadot looking spectacular while kicking ass. So that’s good enough.