The new Netflix original film “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” was released on Nov. 11, and it’s not the best Kevin James movie ever made, but it doesn’t fail to highlight his charm.
James doesn’t fail us for a laugh, but it doesn’t seem as if he brought his all to the movie.
The movie begins with aspiring novelist Samuel Larson (Kevin James) down on his luck with publishing until a small e-book publisher gives him a call in the middle of the night. He answers, and to his surprise, he lands a book deal.
Even more to his surprise, his book, which his publisher (played by Kelen Coleman of “Scandal” and “The Mindy Project”), tells him will be the next “Twilight,” sells through the roof. After landing an interview with Katie Couric, he flees to his apartment, where he’s kidnapped by a man who wants to run Venezuela. In fact, he was kidnapped by the man so he could assassinate the president of Venezuela.
Throughout this journey, he meets a woman named Rosa Bolivar, played by Zulay Henao, who saves him more than just once or twice. She’s a snarky and smart DEA agent who is trying to restore peace in Venezuela.
When she saves him, a delusional Sam Larson sees things as if they were in an action novel and begins thinking of lines for his next book. Throughout the movie, James’s character has an idea of what his hero would do in these circumstances, but Sam is nothing like the character in his story.
The character in his novel is anything but an underdog. When he takes on these villainous characters, he is the character who doesn’t really understand anything about crime, but fights it anyway.
He is clumsy and so unbelievable that many believe he’s telling the truth about his story of being the “Ghost,” a man who disappeared and many believed survived after jumping out of a helicopter. He looks like the perfect person to overlook, which is exactly why so many believe he most definitely is the Ghost.
Whether he is or isn’t doesn’t matter as long as they believe he is. He runs through Venezuela, creating a plan with the beautiful Drug Enforcement Administration agent Rosa Bolivar. Nothing, of course, goes according to plan, but despite their trouble, they persist.
With the help of Rosa and an old friend, he makes it through Argentina with his life while taking others in the process. It’s funny, but it did have its hiccups.
It had the stereotypical Kevin James theme of James as a clumsy, humble hero, who somehow, despite the world — or in this case the country — being against him, manages to survive and come out on top.
If you’re looking for a ridiculous feel-good movie, this may just be the perfect one. It has a completely unrealistic plot line with a pretty good selection of actors and unlikely heroes.
An absurd lie used to sell a book ended up being his greatest story. The “True Memoirs of An International Assassin” will not fail to keep you captivated or laughing at the overly ridiculous comedy.
MOVIE RATING: B-
