Review: A talented cast can't save 'The 355' from its unthrilling mediocrity

The 355
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Simon Kinberg
Writers: Theresa Rebeck, Simon Kinberg, Bek Smith
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Dian Kruger, Penelope Cruz
Genre: Action
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, brief strong language, and suggestive material.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Synopsis: A device capable of shutting down any electronic system has been developed and is about to be sold to a terrorist organization.

Review: In the 2-minute trailer for “The 355,” the premise behind a group of women from various parts of the world teaming together to do whatever it takes to save the world is quickly explained in a voiceover. In the actual film, there is no voiceover to help explain the set up. So, in the first 60 minutes of the film audiences learn less about what is going on than we did in the 2 minutes in the trailer. We’re given quite a bit of backstory for Mace (Jessica Chastain), Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) Marie (Diane Kruger), and Graciela (Penelope Cruz) and while that’s good for the characters it pushes the main narrative to the side. As a result, the second half o “The 355” just feels disjointed and rushed.

You could argue that the chaotic structure of the film faithfully recreates the sense of nationalism that has consumed the world. That our team of agents is essentially forbidden from working with their counterparts from other countries. That “The 355” is a film that explores the failures of contemporary imperialism or “The 355” is not that kind of movie. The cast may suggest top-shelf quality, but the film is far closer to the Expendables franchise than it is to Mission: Impossible. It’s nonsensical, contrived, and is rarely any fun.

Director Simon Kinberg made a few good decisions and a lot of mistakes while running the X-Men franchise at Fox. Arguably his biggest folly was his directorial debut “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” the disaster that proved to be the nail in the coffin for the franchise. There’s been no improvement with “The 355.” He has all the talent in the world at his fingertips and he can’t manage to shoot a coherent action sequence. The Bingbing Fan fight scene is a nightmare.

I like the ideas behind the story and absolutely love the cast. Sadly, that isn’t enough to make “The 355” recommendable to anyone outside of those who just want mindless PG-13 violence via an underutilized cast.