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It’s been a busy week for action cinema and this weekend saw the release of Netflix’s next franchise hopeful. That’s right. To go along with Extraction and The Old Guard, the streaming giant is off and running once again with yet another big budget flick which they hope will turn into a franchise of movies. With Gal Gadot leading the way (and the fact that she’s probably not Wonder Woman anymore, oops more on that later), we have her latest starring vehicle but unlike her last few filmography entries, she’s front and center this time and carrying the whole thing on her shoulders.
The film is called Heart of Stone and it sees Gadot starring as an elite intelligence operative who is employed for yet another shadowy global peacekeeping agency who is tasked with stopping an expert hacker from stealing a weapon that can infiltrate any computer system in the world. Yes, even the most heavily guarded ones so you can basically do the math and figure out what will happen when nefarious forces get their hands on it. No worries though because Stone (hey that’s clever because Stone is in the title) is on the case and she’s about to make Ethan Hunt and James Bond look like entry level mail clerks if that’s at all possible.
I’m not going to lie and say that I had high expectations for this after watching the trailer, but I will confess that I was pleasantly surprised by it when initiating my first viewing. It’s exactly what you want if you seek this type of pic out and if you want to watch 2 hours of Gal Gadot looking sexy and cool while she mows down baddies, well this is the one for you. That’s what I was indeed expecting and dammit if that’s not what I got.
Let me say that this is predictable fodder and if you want a movie that will make you think go watch The Northman (I’m still trying to figure that one out). There will be reviews out there that are looking to bash Heart of Stone, but we action fans who want some fun and guns will be satisfied as the movie is loaded with action set pieces galore with one starting out right out of the gate. A successful action movie usually has a sequence of high-octane at the beginning and boy does this one deliver as we are treated to stunts, firepower, fisticuffs and, of course CGI, but it looks good and feels adrenalized so buckle up buttercup.
Gadot is surrounded by a top tier supporting cast that includes Theresa Yang (Jing Lusi), Parker (Jamie Dornan), and Max Bailey (Paul Ready) who are her MI-6 comrades. We also have Army of the Dead’s Matthias Schweighofer who portrays Jack of Hearts and he’s her go to guy at the agency The Charter. Hey, didn’t I say she worked for MI-6? Yep, I did but that’s a nifty little twist at the start as we think Gadot is a tech agent with no field experience but then she turns into the female Ethan Hunt and proceeds to tear up the screen. You see, Stone really isn’t with MI-6 as she’s undercover for her real agency. You know the shadowy one. I did like that aspect of it as she pretends to be meek but is really this ultra-sophisticated spy machine in disguise.
The hacker in question is Keya Dhawan (Alia Bhatt) and we are not sure what her intentions are, but they can’t be good so that’s why Stone’s Charter superior, Nomad (Sophie Okonedo) wants her stopped at all costs. this is the initial setup for the film, and I won’t go into anymore spoilers so you can watch and enjoy for yourself.
Heart of Stone has a great deal going for it and the main one is Gadot herself. The stunning actress has more than proven herself over the years starring in some heavy firepower big, budgeted films like Fast & Furious and Netflix’s Red Notice and she is definitely in the top 5 of female action stars as she is the real deal having served in the Israeli special forces. that’s how you know this one isn’t just another pretty face but she’s the complete package that comes with stunts and fighting choreography. Gadot is perfectly cast here, and she makes the most of it going into hyper-drive for a majority of the film’s running time.
Like I stated, the action set pieces are welcoming, and they serve their purpose delivering plenty of shootouts, CQB action and good old hand to hand combat to go along with the chases and adrenaline. If a certain movie with Tom Cruise hadn’t just recently come out over the last month, Heart of Stone might have taken top prize for best 2023 spy action-thriller but unfortunately that’s not the case. Where Mission: Impossible prides itself at doing action the old-fashioned way, Heart of Stone does rely more heavily on CGI. It all looks impressive so that’s a good thing, but the movie will likely be more forgotten at the end of the year.
Penned by comic book author Greg Rucka (The Old Guard) with Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures, Christopher Robin) backing him up, Heart of Stone relies on much used tropes from other flicks and that’s where it mostly suffers. There’s not a twist that you won’t see coming and this is a spy movie that you can shut your brain off at the door and just enjoy the ride. That might not be a negative but to some reviewers it will be.
Director Tom Harper shows his initial lack of expertise with these types of films but still manages to showcase everything cleanly and efficiently so while it’s nothing new, it’s still exciting and sweat inducing. The score from Steven Price (Gravity) is solid as well and feature a main theme that is awesome and one that you will remember afterwards. It takes its cues from James Bond but manages to do its own thing at the same time. I found myself humming it while viewing it so that’s how I know it worked.
Overall, Heart of Stone is a serviceable introduction to another hopeful Netflix franchise which is mainly due to a charismatic and kick ass on all levels portrayal from Gal Gadot and cast. There is a bevy of solid action sequences that will keep you glued to the screen and it’s mostly peddle to the metal from the word go. Unfortunatley, Tom Harper’s directorial effort will most likely remind the audience of past spy thrillers like Mission: Impossible or the James Bond movies and that’s where it will take its biggest hit. Harper does manage to hit the energy and fun button and that’s where it will succeed as it’s a decent movie that is worth watching. In past years, Heart of Stone would have made its debut on the big screen and it looks like it should be there, but the pandemic and streaming has changed the landscape forever, but it still looks fantastic on a huge flat screen with the sound on the soundbar amplified. At least it did for me.
I guess the real question is did Heart of Stone convince me that it was a potential franchise? Yes it did on many levels. I would love to see Rachel Stone and The Charter return for more globetrotting action and spy thrills so at the end of the day, that’s all Netflix really wants, and I believe they do have it with Gal Gadot and Heart of Stone.
VERDICT: 3.5 Out of 5 Stars
ACTION-FLIX APPROVED
Gal Gadot saves Heart of Stone and carries this potential franchise on her shoulders with charisma, sex appeal and blistering action that will satisfy!
