Assassins

Assassins is an exciting action film about two hitmen, one mature and experienced, Robert Rath, and one a young hothead, Miguel Bain. The role of the taciturn and somewhat world-weary Rath suits Sylvester Stallone. The part actually bears the marks of having been written for an older actor such as Sean Connery, but Stallone is convincing in the role. Antonio Banderas, on the other hand, is a little tiresome as the psychopath and playboy Miguel Bain. He comes close to seeming implausible as a calculating, chess-playing hitman, but then again, hitmen can presumably be brilliant too.

Robert Rath gets an unpleasant surprise when he discovers that his employer has hired another man to carry out the same job. So the unknown employer is testing them to find out whether Rath is still the best, or whether the younger and hungrier Miguel Bain should get his chance.

Rath decides to carry out one last job before retiring, but this time he has to fight Miguel Bain to do it. It becomes a life-and-death struggle. The job consists of getting hold of a floppy disk containing hugely important information and eliminating the buyers and the seller. The seller turns out to be a sweet female computer expert called Electra, with whom Rath, who has gone soft in his old age, falls in love. Instead of killing her, they become partners. Two are better than one, which is otherwise always the hitman's lot.