"Play Dirty": High Stakes, Romance, and Redemption?

Welcome to the roller-coaster blast that is "Play Dirty." A smorgasbord of familiar film tropes backed by an all-star cast, it leaves us asking: Why do streaming platforms keep splurging on remakes, and when did action flicks lose their sizzle? The latest Amazon Prime offer, helmed and co-written by Shane Black of "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," leaves one feeling a little deja vu. And then, there's the enduring enigma of Mark Wahlberg's stardom.

Based on Richard Stark’s (aka Donald E. Westlake) renowned collection of 24 crime novels about the mysterious, tough-guy criminal Parker, "Play Dirty" is just the latest in the string of adaptations, following iconic performances from the likes of Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall, Jim Brown, Peter Coyote, Mel Gibson, and Jason Statham.

Executive producer Robert Downey Jr. originating the movie as a Joel Silver production certainly added to the hype. Picturing Downey's classic Iron Man wit delivering Black's snappy lines is deliciously tantalizing. Nevertheless, Wahlberg seems to fall a little short when matched against the electric LaKeith Stanfield, who easily steals the spotlight.

But it's not all Wahlberg's misfire. Written by Shane Black, Charles Mondry, and Anthony Bagarozzi, the movie teeters on the frantic and shaky storyline, frantically pedaling us forward in the hope we won't question the bigger plot picture. Even the promising storyline-Parker and his crew in a robbery turned upside down by a peppy employee and the unexpected sabotage by new crew member Zen (Rosa Salazar)-loses steam under the weight of its convoluted execution.

While Westlake's novels are well-known for their canny cynicism, Black pumps up the humor, which is not always to the movie's best advantage. Also, even though the star of the show, Zen (Rosa Salazar), impresses with her action sequences, her overused "my country" refrain makes you want to pull your hair out!

Old foe De La Paz (Alejandro Edda) and New York mob lord Lozini (Tony Shalhoub) complicate Parker's attempted revenge. Meanwhile, fresh recruits like the theater-loving Alan Grofield (Stanfield) and art thieves Ed and Brenda Mackey (Keegan-Michael Key and Claire Lovering) bring some desperately needed comic relief to the table. However, the film sacrifices plot perspicuity for some low-stake caper comedy.

Despite a rostra of ardent creatives including composer Alan Silvestri, cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, and production designer Owen Paterson, "Play Dirty" never quite hits the sweet spot of exhilaration and style. The movie aims to be as thrilling as a New Year’s Eve firework display, but ends up fizzling out like a damp squib; leaving audiences scratching their heads and asking, "Wait, so this was a buddy comedy?"