Whether it be ‘Self/Less’ or recent tv flop ‘Second Chance’, body-swap projects are all the rage. But in ‘Criminal’ it’s Kevin Costner getting a reboot from Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds…
Criminal’s new poster (Click to enlarge)
Body-swap projects have been around forever. Older readers may remember the original Freaky Friday with fondness, but in recent years – particularly with the rise in technology on and off the screen, the concept has been twisted and folded into all kinds of variations. Last year Self/Less gave us a dying real-estate mogul, played by Sir Ben Kingsley, got his mind transferred into the younger body of Ryan Reynolds… and now its Reynolds’ return to be on the skewed donor-end of a transplant list when a dangerous death-row inmate (Kevin Costner) with a ‘dangerous lack of empathy or control’ receives the memories of Reynolds’ CIA operative – killed in the line of duty. Somewhere in the memory of the slain agent are the skills and information that could stop a major terrorist from fulfilling his agenda… and all the security forces need is that one piece of intel. However retrieving it may prove more dangerous for everyone than they expected…
It’s a well-worn theme, but the trailer looks to be fun and the cast – which in addition to Costner and Reynolds includes the like of Michael Pitt, Alice Eve, Wonder Woman Gal Gadot,and ever-reliable Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Oldman – should be more than up to the task. Equally the new poster, released today, is more than the cut-and-paste profile image template that adorns many a release… though its interesting that the poster doesn’t bear Reynolds’ credit – which is front and centre on all other publicity – given the actor’s red-hot status following Deadpool‘s success.
Below is the film’s trailer. It is released by Lionsgate on 15th April.
