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Don’t let the generic name lead you astray — “Wild Target” is a particularly entertaining watch that’s now available for streaming on Hulu. From director Jonathan Lynn (“My Cousin Vinny”) and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon (“The Danish Girl”), this 2010 crime comedy caper is exactly the kind of casual fun to unwind with, in the great tradition of light-hearted but just suspenseful enough films about British criminal circles. Instead of going full Guy Ritchie, though, “Wild Target” opts for a measure of old-timey charm combined with a smart, funny plot — and, of course, major names up to the gills.
The thing about “Wild Target” is that while it’s not what you’d call a critical darling, it’s precisely the type of film where an actor to cut loose and have some jolly good fun. Perhaps because of this, it boasts a particularly impressive cast even by British crime film standards. Here, you’ll find folks like “Harry Potter” veteran Rupert Grint, eventual Oscar nominees Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) and Bill Nighy (“Living”), Martin Freeman (“Sherlock”), Rupert Everett (“An Ideal Husband”), and Rory Kinnear (“Men”). Some of them were already massive names at this point. Others were still in slightly earlier stages of their high-profile career. However, in this movie, all of them become embroiled in a complicated plot of cons, assassinations, and one hapless kid stuck in the middle of it all.
Wild Target casts its stars in interesting roles
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“Wild Target” is a good opportunity to see many of its stars play against type. In 2010, Martin Freeman wasn’t Bilbo Baggins, Lester Nygaard, Everett Ross, or Dr. John Watson. He was Tim from “The Office,” John the movie stand-in from “Love, Actually,” and Arthur Dent from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” and thus not who you’d automatically imagine playing evil assassin Hector Dixon. Rupert Grint was still Ron Weasley, and clearly relishes the opportunity to play Tony, an average underachiever who stumbles into an assassin apprenticeship. While she would go on to excel in just about every genre, from taking over the practically perfect titular character in “Mary Poppins Returns” to playing a crucial supporting role in “Oppenheimer,” Emily Blunt’s big beats at the time were “The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Young Victoria.” So, her turn as gung-ho con artist Rose may have seemed like something of a departure at the time. Meanwhile, Bill Nighy, who had already played everyone from tentacle-faced sea demons to aging rock stars and vampire overlords, trades some of his signature confidence and gravitas for a fun side order of awkwardness as hit man Victor Maynard.
Another great thing about the movie is that everyone involved seems to have fun. Blunt, Grint, and Nighy have an easy chemistry, while Everett and Freeman balance smug intimidation and comedy with ease. Given the cast’s body of work, you’re unlikely to find this on any list of their greatest films, let alone a list of the best crime movies of all time. Still, there’s value in a fun film where the cast knows precisely what sort of project they’re in, and this alone makes “Wild Target” worth a watch.
“Wild Target” is available to stream on Hulu.
