![]() On a desperate mission to find the reclusive Kijima (Jun Kunimura) himself, she kidnaps his niece Ani (Miku Martineau) while injecting herself with stolen hospital stimulants to keep going. The toxic cocktail of choice was apparently Polonium-204, a radioactive agent that will kill Kate within 24 hours, as all clues lead to the Kijima crime family being behind the poisoning. But after experiencing dizziness and unable to hit her mark, Kate soon comes to the harsh realization she may have been poisoned by a mysterious man named Stephen (Michiel Huisman), whom she hooked up with at a hotel bar. Kate's decision to take the shot anyway and complete the job leaves her in emotional distress, vowing to Varrick that she will only do one final mission before calling it quits and retiring. Now, complications arise when she's in Osaka to kill an officer of the dangerous yakuza syndicate, as a child is unexpectedly accompanying the intended target. When Kate (Winstead) was orphaned as a young girl, mentor and father figure Varrick stepped in, training her as a member of his elite team, as she developed into an expert assassin. There's a lot to like here, but where it earns most of its stripes is in the commitment to go all out with the kind of inspired lunacy an action vehicle like this requires. They also take one of the more tired action tropes and elevate it, leaving viewers contemplating all the creative possibilities for the inevitable sequel or spin-off that must already be in the planning stages. But it's Winstead who carries it, bringing a Ripley-like tenacity to the title part that's only enhanced by another performance that's just as good, enabling both to pick up the slack when the narrative starts playing itself out. Troyan proudly wears his influences on his sleeve and if there are points where you wish things were a little less predictable or tidier, that's mostly offset by what he gets right, from the visuals to the sensationally choreographed fight sequences. As for the film itself, it's the very definition of a "love it" or "hate it" affair, as certain fans will eat it up while others may slightly cringe at how derivative it is of some titles that preceded it. ![]() And much like Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson, who both frequently alternate between giving powerful dramatic performances in smaller films and taking ass-kicking action parts that diversify their portfolios, Winstead is just as perfect a fit for this genre. There were hints of it in Birds of Prey, but now the actress takes the next logical leap in what's been an unexpectedly adventurous career arc that seems to paint further outside the lines with each passing role. Netflix's Kate may as well be the intersection where Crank meets John Wick meets Kill Bill, but director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan's explosive, over-the-top, high octane thriller also serves as Mary Elizabeth Winstead's rite of passage into full-fledged action star. Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, Jun Kunimura, Michiel Huisman, Miyavi, Amelia Crouch, Ava Caryofyllis, Gemma Brooke Allen, Kazuya Tanabe
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