“International” Man of Mystery?

I will wholeheartedly admit that Daniel Craig rocks as James Bond. However, there’s a part of me that will always wonder what Clive Owen would have been like as 007. When the job opened up after Pierce Brosnan bowed out, Owen’s name immediately popped up as the logical replacement. Like Craig, Owen would have brought gravitas to the role while still being able to handle the action sequences like a pro...

For proof, check out “The International”, a 2009 box office dud that features Owen as an Interpol lackey obsessed with building a case against a corrupt bank, on DVD. The film itself is mediocre: there’s no clean resolution & most of the shadowy hijinks seem a bit over the top (SOMEBODY other than our hero would notice something was amiss with this many high profile people biting the big one). The two positives in “The International” (other than getting to stare at the lovely Naomi Watts once in a while) are Owen, who is always interesting even in clunkers like “Closer”, and a phenomenal shootout sequence at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City (outside of a war flick, I don’t recall ever watching a scene with THIS much fake ammo being burned up!)...

In the end, I’ll be more generous than I should be and give “The International” 2 Eddies out of a possible four. In a weak market (for movies, I mean), this thriller is a safe outlay of two hours of your life. Just don’t expect a spectacular return on investment...