Aditya Awandhe’s Agents is an action thriller that focuses almost entirely on the action with only a cursory nod to plot. The setup is as follows: In Mauritius, the Chinese agree to exhibit a priceless jade artifact on the island, and it’s down to policeman Shaw (Nad Sham) to lead the team protecting it. While transporting the object through a dense forest in a convey, the team is ambushed, and the jade is stolen. In response to the theft, special agent Yuan (Naomi Willow) is assigned to lead the investigation team in retrieving the item. Shaw and his team are dubious that a woman can be effective, but they dropped the ball and must comply.
On the other side of the law, maximum baddie Raul (Vincent Pellegrin) takes delivery of the case that was stolen, and it turns out to be empty. This is a low-budget version of the scene in The Fifth Element where Zorg was expecting the stones from the Mangalore leader, Aknot, and the case was empty. Same thing.
“…the team is ambushed and the jade is stolen…”
Long segments follow interrogations, investigations, and recriminations. The back and forth is confusing and the threads get lost. Tension builds. Then guns blaze, hand to hand combat ensues, bones crunch, and scenery is chewed. The action makes us forgive all the plot dropouts.
Overacting is the order of the day. Both cops and criminals are arch and melodramatic. Also, Awandhe must have realized at some point that the segments of characters prowling around rooms and stairwells were getting dull and made some creative adjustments to the film’s speed… short bursts of fast-forward punctuate these moments. It’s jarring and goofy. There is a gun battle car chase with expensive vehicles through the lush Mauritian landscape, followed by a gun battle boat chase, a helicopter chase, and a motorcycle chase. Some of the baddies are on horseback. The visuals of the scenery are gorgeous. Vacation to Mauritius, anyone?
Agents is all about intrigue and action, and why not? If you’re looking for depth of cerebral and emotionally complex cinema, then this is the wrong film. The cast and the settings are all very attractive. If you’re here for finger-pointing, betrayal, and wholesale a*s-kicking action set pieces, Awandhe has got you.
"…focuses almost entirely on the action with only a cursory nod to plot"
