Image via AppleTV
Doug Liman has an impressive track record when it comes to collaborations. Responsible for kick starting franchises including the Jason Bourne series, he is also known for great one and done efforts including Jumper, American Made, and the sequel baiting Edge of Tomorrow. At present Liman is busy slinging mud at Amazon over his treatment during Roadhouse, a re-make of the Patrick Swayze classic updated with Jake Gyllenhaal. However, The Instigators is another story altogether, that sadly lacks Liman’s trademark touches and feels like he is on autopilot.
Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, The Instigators is a fish out of water fable that finds Rory (Damon) deep in mid-life crisis. Divorced, behind on his alimony payments, and unwilling to see his son through guilt, Rory decides to do something drastic. With only his back payments as a motivator, he falls in with Cobby (Casey Affleck) a career criminal who works for Mr.Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg). The job is to rob corrupt Boston Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman). What goes down instead is a half-arsed attempt at robbery, ending with Cobby, Rory, and his therapist Dr.Rivera (Hong Chau) on the run. Under normal circumstances with a story that strong and cast including Toby Jones and Alfred Molina, this Apple original should be a no-brainer for audiences.
Image via AppleTV
Unfortunately, The Instigators simply isn’t funny. High production values, top-tier talent, and a solid director is nothing without a good script. Audiences have seen films like this many times before, done better, and done with passion which is simply lacking here. Damon and Affleck make for an engaging central duo, while Stuhlbarg and Molina also deliver some solid bad guy chemistry with lacklustre overtones, but The Instigators rarely feels dynamic. Ron Perlman and Toby Jones as the corrupt politicians also put in a solid showing, but everything about this film is average.
With this calibre of talent on screen the first gut reaction is that something got lost in translation. The Instigators should be savvy and slick with an undercurrent of emotional honesty to sell Damon’s dilemma. Instead, this whole enterprise lacks urgency and even when bullets are flying no one looks dangerous. Ving Rhames also feels superfluous as a government tracker slash gun for hire, who brings the menace but tempers his usual persona to embrace any comedy. The problem is all audiences will hear is the sound of tumbleweed as one-liners repeatedly fall flat. A misfire on multiple levels for reasons that are both obvious and extremely disappointing, The Instigators should be both forgiven and forgotten as quickly as possible.
Image via AppleTV
The Instigators is available to stream on AppleTV now.