Weaponized
Kyle West worked for a government contractor, and when things went horribly wrong, his boss ended up testifying before Congress, and West had to go into hiding in Cambodia. Now Julian Robinson needs to sneak into Africa to finalize a deal, and after he realizes how similar he looks to West, the pair agree to switch passports. When West says yes, all hell begins, with Russians, Chinese, the CIA, and a contract killer on his tail. Getting out of Cambodia free seemed too good to be true, and, alas, it was, as West is plunged into a vast conspiracy that makes why he was hiding in the first place pale in comparison. Unfortunately, the tantalizing premise proves difficult to swallow, mainly because West is a bumbling, ineffectual hero who relies on others to get by. The villain is not only stronger but also more interesting. The ambiguous ending doesn’t help, either. Nice premise, some suspense along the way, but overall a not particularly compelling take on the man-wrongly-accused theme. Coauthor Guggenheim wrote the script for the hit film Safe House. --Jeff Ayers