Review: Proud Mary

Taraji P. Henson plays the title character, an assassin with a slight conscience, who ends up becoming a maternal figure for the young child (Jahi Di’Allo) of one of her victims. She has to keep the boy a secret from her employer (Danny Glover) and colleague/lover (Billy Brown) or else they will want the kid rubbed out for knowing too much. Xander Berkeley plays a Russian criminal in one scene.

Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty wasn’t keen on this 2018 film using the title of a song he wrote without his permission. Having read his autobiography Fortunate Son (CCR are my favourite band) I understand why, the man has been screwed out of his own music over the years. However, since this movie looked like a bit of a Blaxploitation throwback and I like Taraji P. Henson, I thought it might at least be an interesting diversion. It doesn’t start out too badly, but it sputters out pretty quickly I’m afraid. Directed by Babak Najafi (“London Has Fallen”), it might give off Blaxploitation vibes and have a cool old-school soundtrack (though it inevitably uses the shitty Tina Turner version of the title song, not the CCR original), but it’s lacking for energy and action.

Scripted by Christian Swegal (who comes from a short film background), John Stuart Newman (who wrote eleventy-billion episodes of “Days of Our Lives”), and former actor Steven Antin, it also has more in common with the 1980 Gena Rowlands film “Gloria” than say “Coffy” or “Cleopatra Jones”. That makes sense given Antin (who played jerks in two memorable 80s films “The Last American Virgin” and “The Goonies”) adapted the original screenplay for the Sharon Stone remake of “Gloria” in 1999. It’s a shame that it ultimately doesn’t deliver the goods because there’s promise in the early going and a game cast. Executive Producer Henson makes for a fine Pam Grier substitute, having already played a tough chick assassin in the underrated “Smokin’ Aces”. She’s terrific, and young Jahi Di’Allo is OK too. Hell, even Danny Glover has one of his better days of late here as a powerful patriarchal crime boss. Right from the cool opening titles featuring the old Screen Gems logo with the kick-arse classic ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ blaring the film definitely offers up some Blaxploitation-infused cool. It’s not a Blaxploitation film, but the director at least appears to be a fan of the subgenre.

However, with not much action or excitement beyond the soundtrack, I started to tune out before the hour mark. I was all set for a flashy, funky, violent throwback and despite the trappings, it’s not what was delivered here. It wouldn’t bother me if that weren’t what the director seemed to be setting up. This isn’t simply a case of me not liking a film because it’s not what I wanted, it’s simply not the film it seemed to promise. That’s different, and the film isn’t much good at being what it is anyway because it didn’t keep my attention for very long. It’s a bit dull, despite a fine cast and cool songs.

Rating: C