Assassination Games is a 2011 American action film directed by Ernie Barbarash, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins. Scott Adkins is Roland Flint, an assassin who retired after a hit went terribly wrong. With his wife in a coma due to a beating and gang rape by his target, Polo Yakur, he took a sizeable amount of money from a dirty squad in Interpol and took his wife into hiding. To lure him out, the Interpol agents arrange for Polo to be released from prison, knowing that Flint wouldn't be able to resist the target. Jean-Claude Van Damme is Vincent Brazil, another assassin who takes on the job of killing Polo after Flint forgoes vengeance. Flint undergoes a change of heart, attempts the hit, and Brazil and Flint manage to both screw up each other's hits, leading to a rivalry that leads to friendship and betrayal.
This film exhibits the following tropes:
- Assassins Are Always Betrayed:
- Brazil's contact doesn't take long to roll over on him, although it's implied that he purposefully gave bad information, trusting Brazil to come out on top.
- Brazil himself doesn't take long to betray Flint once it's pointed out that a) he could make more money this way and b) Flint is a dangerous loose cannon.
- Chekhov's Gun: Literally. The automated mounted turret with laser painting.
- Conspicuously Public Assassination: At the beginning of the film, Brazil kills one target in front of the entire wedding party, slitting his throat in the guise of cleaning up a spill, then walking away.
- Electric Torture: The corrupt Interpol agents attempt to use it to convince Flint to say where he hid the money.
- I Have Your Wife: Done twice in the film by the same set of bad guys.
- Polo's men break into Brazil's apartment and threaten to kill October if he doesn't cooperate. He tells them that he doesn't care and hangs up, leading to her death.
- They later take over the house where Flint's wife is being kept, leading to the showdown at the end of the film.
- Ordered Apology: Flint, having subdued Polo (the villain responsible for putting Flint's wife into a coma), drags him before his wife and orders Polo to apologize. Polo does, but unfortunately...Flint: She can't hear you. [kills Polo anyways]
- Professional Killer: Brazil and Flint are at the top of their game.
- Slashed Throat: The very first kill of the movie is done this way, in front of a wedding party.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Flint demonstrates his skill in this twice in the film, both times escaping while the person he's talking to is pleading for their life.
- The Stoic: Brazil shows very little emotion throughout the film until he sheds a single tear for October.
- Torture Technician: Gregor gets to show his craft a few times in the film, snipping off digits, using electric torture, and slicing people up. He keeps his tools in a bright red tool chest for extra intimidation.
