KILLING GUNTHER is an unfairly lamented mockumentary comedy along the lines of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS and THE OFFICE. The filming follows a bunch of idiotic assassins as they attempt to take down a legendary rival. The main problem I have with this is that the trailer and advertising make it look like an Arnold Schwarzenegger film, when in reality he's limited to an extended cameo in the last fifteen minutes. Arnie is great, of course; his ability to laugh at himself has always been one of his finest assets. However, the rest of the film isn't too bad either. The knowing, awkward comedy manages to overcome the cheesiness of the special effects (CGI blood and explosions and the like) and some of the characters are very funny. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
172 Reviews
Varying in quality, but a fun movie when it matters
Enchorde28 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A team of more or less inept hit men set out to kill the most renowned hitman ever, nicknamed Gunther. Problem is, no one knows his real name, what he looks like, or where he is. And to prove they did it, they film a documentary about the hit.
I don't know what to really think about this movie. On the one hand, it is rather fun quite a lot of times, in a ridculous, over the top kind of way. Quite a few references to other movies as well. On the other hand, the plot is kind of cheesy and a lot of it looks like a low budget student movie.
Cobie Smulders and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger are the biggest names, but their roles are quite small. Schwarzenegger headlines the poster but appears only towards the end. However, when he finally does appear he does it great. It really looks like he enjoyed doing this part, and he is perfect for that role. Both with the stardom and history his name brings, but also his presence and acting.
So don't expect to much, don't overthink it, sit back and you will probably enjoy it.
I don't know what to really think about this movie. On the one hand, it is rather fun quite a lot of times, in a ridculous, over the top kind of way. Quite a few references to other movies as well. On the other hand, the plot is kind of cheesy and a lot of it looks like a low budget student movie.
Cobie Smulders and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger are the biggest names, but their roles are quite small. Schwarzenegger headlines the poster but appears only towards the end. However, when he finally does appear he does it great. It really looks like he enjoyed doing this part, and he is perfect for that role. Both with the stardom and history his name brings, but also his presence and acting.
So don't expect to much, don't overthink it, sit back and you will probably enjoy it.
It's an entertaining trash movie
matze-239679 August 2018
It's what you can call a marmite movie, you either love it or hate it. Best to watch with some friends, having some nibbles and beers.
I felt entertained and had a good time, never expected it to be an Oscar contestant
A Dumb Movie Slightly Redeemed By Arnold; 4/10 Stars
Sawyer-481516234227 September 2017
I love assassin movies. The best thing I can say about this movie is I did watch the whole thing without shutting it off.
95% of the movie follows a documentary crew who is hired to follow a team of assassins. They are trying to kill the worlds greatest hit-man, a guy named Gunther (Played by Arnold.) One or two of the assassins are amusing but most of the jokes fall flat and the movies ends up being pretty tedious as a result. I honestly wanted to like it but the writing is pretty bad, the action is laughable (but not in a good way) and what could be an interesting premise is wasted.
The best part of the movie is Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the only actor in the movie that feels like a real actor, which is crazy because he's know more for his action abilities than his acting abilities. Sadly, Arnie is only in about 5% of the movie and the rest of the time viewers are stuck with a mediocre cast. At the very least I give Arnold credit for making the most of his role. (Although I bet he only was on set for a week.) Even though this is a comedy movie and not a true story I was disappointed by the lack of internal consistency. Basically Gunther (Arnie's character)is capable of performing assassinations that defy all logic and explanation. I would have rather him been a very good assassin who is human, rather than a super-powered baddie who can apparently bend the laws of time and space.
I acknowledge that there was a decent idea here. Unfortunately it didn't work out and I'm surprised Arnold agreed to appear in this movie. I'm guessing most of the budget was spent on his salary, otherwise his presence makes no sense to me.
Sadly, I cannot recommend this movie, unless you are a huge Schwarzenegger fan and you love the idea of an assassin comedy (and you smoke enough pot that you are able to suspend disbelief in the face of the ridiculous and are able to laugh at jokes that aren't really funny.) Sober viewers should probably skip this one.
95% of the movie follows a documentary crew who is hired to follow a team of assassins. They are trying to kill the worlds greatest hit-man, a guy named Gunther (Played by Arnold.) One or two of the assassins are amusing but most of the jokes fall flat and the movies ends up being pretty tedious as a result. I honestly wanted to like it but the writing is pretty bad, the action is laughable (but not in a good way) and what could be an interesting premise is wasted.
The best part of the movie is Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the only actor in the movie that feels like a real actor, which is crazy because he's know more for his action abilities than his acting abilities. Sadly, Arnie is only in about 5% of the movie and the rest of the time viewers are stuck with a mediocre cast. At the very least I give Arnold credit for making the most of his role. (Although I bet he only was on set for a week.) Even though this is a comedy movie and not a true story I was disappointed by the lack of internal consistency. Basically Gunther (Arnie's character)is capable of performing assassinations that defy all logic and explanation. I would have rather him been a very good assassin who is human, rather than a super-powered baddie who can apparently bend the laws of time and space.
I acknowledge that there was a decent idea here. Unfortunately it didn't work out and I'm surprised Arnold agreed to appear in this movie. I'm guessing most of the budget was spent on his salary, otherwise his presence makes no sense to me.
Sadly, I cannot recommend this movie, unless you are a huge Schwarzenegger fan and you love the idea of an assassin comedy (and you smoke enough pot that you are able to suspend disbelief in the face of the ridiculous and are able to laugh at jokes that aren't really funny.) Sober viewers should probably skip this one.
Hardly 10 minutes of Arnie in a 93 minute movie! [+36%]
arungeorge1329 September 2017
For a film that has Arnie's face at the centre occupying the most space in the poster, and has his name billed as top-cast, he's barely there. He plays Gunther, who's adjudged the greatest hit-man in the world. A cluster of tier-2 hit men (and hitwomen) led by Blake (Taran Killam, who also wrote and directed the movie) target Gunther for various reasons - some merely professional, while some purely personal.
'Killing Gunther' must have actually been the by-product of an unproduced SNL skit (as it certainly carries the vibe of one) - yes, there are indeed a few unadulterated laughs prompted by the ensemble, but the rest of the movie doesn't register (especially the action set-pieces). Even the jokes get increasingly absurd as the movie progresses and the viewer doesn't feel like backing the interests of any of the characters. In fact, we'd rather root for the rather mysterious Gunther than the buffoons we see on screen for a good 70 minutes straight.
The visual effects are tacky (yeah it's a DTV movie) and the holes in the script way too huge (even if you decide to turn your brains off and treat it all like the BS it really is). Arnie's 'cameo' comes in a lot later than expected, and when he finally makes his entry, there isn't much left to salvage as the material in hand is unfortunately too trashy.
The performances are supposed to look outlandish and hence, they are. No one really stands out in their portrayals and the chemistry amongst the group is lacking. When the supposedly clumsy cyber-nerd is the most likable character in a movie about 'professional assassins', it doesn't help elevate things even to the slightest extent. Taran Killam wants this movie to look like the parody of parodies but his attempt kicks the bucket in no time. 'Red' is a better film in this genre.
Verdict: Give this one a miss, especially if you're still an Arnie fan!
'Killing Gunther' must have actually been the by-product of an unproduced SNL skit (as it certainly carries the vibe of one) - yes, there are indeed a few unadulterated laughs prompted by the ensemble, but the rest of the movie doesn't register (especially the action set-pieces). Even the jokes get increasingly absurd as the movie progresses and the viewer doesn't feel like backing the interests of any of the characters. In fact, we'd rather root for the rather mysterious Gunther than the buffoons we see on screen for a good 70 minutes straight.
The visual effects are tacky (yeah it's a DTV movie) and the holes in the script way too huge (even if you decide to turn your brains off and treat it all like the BS it really is). Arnie's 'cameo' comes in a lot later than expected, and when he finally makes his entry, there isn't much left to salvage as the material in hand is unfortunately too trashy.
The performances are supposed to look outlandish and hence, they are. No one really stands out in their portrayals and the chemistry amongst the group is lacking. When the supposedly clumsy cyber-nerd is the most likable character in a movie about 'professional assassins', it doesn't help elevate things even to the slightest extent. Taran Killam wants this movie to look like the parody of parodies but his attempt kicks the bucket in no time. 'Red' is a better film in this genre.
Verdict: Give this one a miss, especially if you're still an Arnie fan!
Kinda mehhhh
TheOneThatYouWanted18 October 2017
Killing Arnold
This film could have been so much better if Arnold Schwarzenegger was in the film through out it as opposed to just squished in at the end as some grand reveal. Plus as you already know the trailer spoils the heck out of the Schwarzenegger reveal, but you can't blame the trailer because they knew people would be more likely to watch a B-film if they knew a big star was in it. Long story short, editing hurts the film.
This film could have been so much better if Arnold Schwarzenegger was in the film through out it as opposed to just squished in at the end as some grand reveal. Plus as you already know the trailer spoils the heck out of the Schwarzenegger reveal, but you can't blame the trailer because they knew people would be more likely to watch a B-film if they knew a big star was in it. Long story short, editing hurts the film.
Glad I gave this one a chance
Nathan426 July 2020
Is it utterly ridiculous? Absolutely. But there were plenty of laugh out loud moments, and that's the most important thing in a comedy, no?
Give it 15 minutes, if you haven't laughed by then it's not for you...but I have a feeling you'll be laughing.
Give it 15 minutes, if you haven't laughed by then it's not for you...but I have a feeling you'll be laughing.
This film is a joke
brunovanael10 June 2019
An unexpected gem
damianphelps20 September 2020
This is a really funny movie all the way through to Arnie singing a country music song in the end cedits.
I did sort of assume that this was another 'use the star to market the film and not really have them in it' job and it did look like that for a long time. Arnie isn't in the film until the 67 minute mark but after that he is pretty much a constant.
However the actual movie up until Arnie is really good and gets better once he appears. Its supposed to be silly and it does have some great over the top moments. Arnie also delivers a bunch of his famous one liners (greatest hits style) as well.
I think those that didn't enjoy it maybe missed the point.
Have fun, they obviously did!
I did sort of assume that this was another 'use the star to market the film and not really have them in it' job and it did look like that for a long time. Arnie isn't in the film until the 67 minute mark but after that he is pretty much a constant.
However the actual movie up until Arnie is really good and gets better once he appears. Its supposed to be silly and it does have some great over the top moments. Arnie also delivers a bunch of his famous one liners (greatest hits style) as well.
I think those that didn't enjoy it maybe missed the point.
Have fun, they obviously did!
Dire, stupid, desperate attemps to be funny.
jeffrudd3123 December 2017
The title says it all in summary.
The first hint that this is going to be a crap film comes within a minute of it starting. I had hopes still that it might get better and hung on till Arnold finally appeared - right at the very near end. What a disappointment!
What possessed those responsible to do this remake? What possessed Arnold to put his name to it? I like hit-man films but this was no killer movie. Actually, I take that back. There was something murdered... The script was murdered, the jokes were murdered, a great deal of what should have been good movie time, was murdered.
If there was a hit-man out to murder this movie, they succeeded. Pity the movie didn't!
The first hint that this is going to be a crap film comes within a minute of it starting. I had hopes still that it might get better and hung on till Arnold finally appeared - right at the very near end. What a disappointment!
What possessed those responsible to do this remake? What possessed Arnold to put his name to it? I like hit-man films but this was no killer movie. Actually, I take that back. There was something murdered... The script was murdered, the jokes were murdered, a great deal of what should have been good movie time, was murdered.
If there was a hit-man out to murder this movie, they succeeded. Pity the movie didn't!
Killing Gunther is solid and with some Arnie super scenes!
ThomDerd30 September 2017
My advice: if you are about to see this, start with low expectations and don't expect too many scenes with Arnold. All scenes with him are just hilarious and will reward you if you're an Arnie-fan.
This movie definitely does not try to take itself serious. It is a nicely shot comedy, with action and familiar faces.
And has a great ending accompanied with even greater ending credits.
Wait and listen to the ending credits songs and you will be positively surprised.
8/10 for the effort and the truly funny moments with Arnold.
This movie definitely does not try to take itself serious. It is a nicely shot comedy, with action and familiar faces.
And has a great ending accompanied with even greater ending credits.
Wait and listen to the ending credits songs and you will be positively surprised.
8/10 for the effort and the truly funny moments with Arnold.
Funny in places
LLgoatJ5 December 2017
SPOILER: Firstly if you are a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger then be warned that as others have said, although the film suggests that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a star in it, there is a suggestion of his presence throughout but in reality he is on screen only for the last 20mins or so.
The film tells the story of a odd collection of hit men (and hit women) who get together to kill Gunther (Arnold Schwarzenegger), another hit man.
A documentary crew follow the odd squad as they try and kill Gunther. However he is always one step ahead of them, kills them one by one but they never get to see him.
It is laugh out loud funny in places. Other jokes miss the spot. The ending is very clever. Arnold Schwarzenegger looks odd in it. I think they were trying to make him look younger.
It is also nice to see Hannah Simone playing something other than a model. Her over protective but supportive father is one of the funniest themes in the film.
The whole documentary crew footage being the film struggles in places. Especially in the big shoot out in Gunther's house where for various reasons you are supposedly left with no cameramen but footage is still filmed.
Overall though it is an amusing film but could have been done better.
The film tells the story of a odd collection of hit men (and hit women) who get together to kill Gunther (Arnold Schwarzenegger), another hit man.
A documentary crew follow the odd squad as they try and kill Gunther. However he is always one step ahead of them, kills them one by one but they never get to see him.
It is laugh out loud funny in places. Other jokes miss the spot. The ending is very clever. Arnold Schwarzenegger looks odd in it. I think they were trying to make him look younger.
It is also nice to see Hannah Simone playing something other than a model. Her over protective but supportive father is one of the funniest themes in the film.
The whole documentary crew footage being the film struggles in places. Especially in the big shoot out in Gunther's house where for various reasons you are supposedly left with no cameramen but footage is still filmed.
Overall though it is an amusing film but could have been done better.
Horrible Horrible Horrible.............did I say it was horrible
myemail222231 January 2018
I cant believe Arnold backed this. Terrible, horrible, unfunny, uninspired train wreck of a movie. I hated the movie so much that it promoted me to write this review. A complete an utter waste of time. Arnold if your reading this all I can say man is........Apologize for this mess you owe us that much.
Waste of time
lonnielongino22 May 2020
Arnold did you really produce this steaming pile of crap? No humor whatsoever, lines that are supposed to be funny, I guess, fall flat. Action sequences with no plot. And one of the most nonsensical stories I've seen. Pure Razzy material.
Trailer is much better than the movie
tabuno27 January 2019
This is one movie where the trailer is much better than the movie, most because, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is in almost every trailer scene. The movie, on the other hand, he is rarely seen for most of the beginning of the movie, sort of. Using a documentary style format for this supposedly funny parody of the assassin genre, it initially has its semi-appeal, but the fascination begins to wear off and its somewhat hard to distinguish between parody and just poor writing, acting, or execution. A lot of the movie begins to seem so haphazard and improvised that it seems to lose the smart delightful parody motif along the way. So in a number of places in the movie become slow, boring and otherwise just amateurish. It loses any credibility and becomes a bad assassin movie because these characters, supposedly experts in the respectful fields of death, are so bad they seem to be actors trying to come across pretending to know their craft. So between an acceptable beginning, extensive explosions and a lot of cars, and during the prominent screen time of Schwarzenegger, the movie suffers. The is some adherence to a plot, but its loose and not always entertaining. One of the best parts of the movie is listening to what seems to be Schwarzenegger singing a ways into the closing credits.
A Comedy without Good Humor
Uriah4311 January 2019
In order to promote his image a professional hitman named "Blake" (Taram Killam) announces that he will kill the world's top assassin by the name of "Gunther" (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and will videotape it for all to see. To that effect he hires several other eccentric assassins to assist him. What he doesn't tell them, however, is that the real reason he wants to kill Gunther is because he stole his girlfriend "Lisa" (Cobie Smulders) and he hopes that once Gunther is dead they can reconcile. The problem is that Gunther has gotten word of the plan to kill him and decides to go on the offensive instead. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I didn't find much humor in this comedy and as a result I just wasn't that impressed with this film. Additionally, I thought that there were way too many characters which also tended to water down the humor as well. In any case, while this film might appeal to some I found it rather tedious and have rated it accordingly. Below average.
Killing Gunther: A lot of fun
Platypuschow25 March 2019
I'd heard pretty much nothing good about Killing Gunther, the general feeling was that it was an unfunny mess but I beg to differ.
Killing Gunther tells the story of an assassin who forms a team to go after the most well known hitman of them all under the guise of "To be the best you must beat the best". His team involves psychotics, an explosives expert, a poisoner, a legacy, a guy with a robotic arm and a really annoying IT guy!
Truth be told I loved the concept, filmed entirely in a documentary format I was engaged from the start. The characters were hilarious, the jokes on point and it was actually really quite original which let's be honest is something you can't say very often these days.
Starring Arnie on top comedic form this is a really enjoyable comedy effort that ticked far more boxes than I expected. It almost hit an 8/10 but sadly something was missing, and I feel it may have been in regards to the finale which felt like it should have been better.
Regardless this is a really fun little movie and knocks the average Hollywood "Comedy" on its butt.
The Good:
Arnie is on great form
Very funny film
The Bad:
Some really poor CGI
Finale could have been better
Killing Gunther tells the story of an assassin who forms a team to go after the most well known hitman of them all under the guise of "To be the best you must beat the best". His team involves psychotics, an explosives expert, a poisoner, a legacy, a guy with a robotic arm and a really annoying IT guy!
Truth be told I loved the concept, filmed entirely in a documentary format I was engaged from the start. The characters were hilarious, the jokes on point and it was actually really quite original which let's be honest is something you can't say very often these days.
Starring Arnie on top comedic form this is a really enjoyable comedy effort that ticked far more boxes than I expected. It almost hit an 8/10 but sadly something was missing, and I feel it may have been in regards to the finale which felt like it should have been better.
Regardless this is a really fun little movie and knocks the average Hollywood "Comedy" on its butt.
The Good:
Arnie is on great form
Very funny film
The Bad:
Some really poor CGI
Finale could have been better
Waste of time
Mi5-524 March 2020
Under rated.....
faithless473410 October 2020
Okay, this is actually not horrible like the (current 10/10/20 4.8 star) rating has it at from IMDB. I love the idea of a documentary crew following hitmen around and filming their adventures. Some of the humor that they tried did not really come off well. However, I think it was a decent film and did a good job of poking some fun at the "serious" hitman/killer movies that are all over Hollywood. Personally I think it cold have been a bit improved with a couple tweaks of the script and storyline. (the ending specifically but other places also) But I am not a film-maker so we have what we have and it is under rated. Watch it for yourself and make up you mind.
Not even Arnie can save this.
jtins24 April 2019
It's stunning how many people are defending this POS. There is no humour. The plot is pathetic. The acting is horrible, with a couple of exceptions. Maybe if Arnie was in it for more than 15 minutes he could have helped, but even he didn't have his heart in it.
A movie for those with the attention span of goldfish.
Two stars for Arnie's glasses.
A movie for those with the attention span of goldfish.
Two stars for Arnie's glasses.
I need to find another place for movie reviews
alliance10925 August 2018
I need to find another place for movie reviews.
There are way too many uptight people rating movies on IMDb. This movie was fun from the beginning until the end. Schwarzenegger was absolutely hilarious!
like another reviewer said, just watch it
For that matter make sure you watch any movie before you see the reviews, especially today, because it really can spoil great movies.
Tribute to cult classic?
socelferran28 September 2017
The movie is an almost exact copy of Belgian cult classic Man Bites Dog (1992). If you watch it as a remake of that movie, it is a great experience.
Similar acting and directing work, but with a more professional camera crew. It is refreshing to see Hollywood names trying out non traditional formats and getting it right.
Good, fun Arnie action movie. He is back and he is loving it!
Similar acting and directing work, but with a more professional camera crew. It is refreshing to see Hollywood names trying out non traditional formats and getting it right.
Good, fun Arnie action movie. He is back and he is loving it!
Poor Attempt
jporter-liverpool18 June 2019
Let's start from the beginning.
I really enjoyed the look of the cast on paper and the opening scene alluding to the elusive Gunther excited me. However as it introduces the cast I felt like it was becoming more and more of a joke. Not in a humerus way, in a way where the director wanted us to laugh at the looks of the cast. Including the twins who just spoilt the whole seriousness of serial killers.
As the film went on I found a poor attempt to make myself laugh. A genius touch casting Arnold as if not waiting for his appearance I would have turned off.
A film even Arnold could not bring to life.
I really enjoyed the look of the cast on paper and the opening scene alluding to the elusive Gunther excited me. However as it introduces the cast I felt like it was becoming more and more of a joke. Not in a humerus way, in a way where the director wanted us to laugh at the looks of the cast. Including the twins who just spoilt the whole seriousness of serial killers.
As the film went on I found a poor attempt to make myself laugh. A genius touch casting Arnold as if not waiting for his appearance I would have turned off.
A film even Arnold could not bring to life.
An Unfunny Parody of an Action Comedy
nebk1 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Killing Gunther is supposedly an action comedy in which a group of professional assassins tries to kill the best assassin in the world in order to get the recognition for how good they are. Unfortunately they really don't seem to be good at all, and have mishap after mishap and are slowly eliminated by the elusive Gunther (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). The assassins are followed around by a documentary camera crew filming their attempts at greatness. The movie was written and directed by Taran Killam (from Saturday Night Live) who also acts as Gunther's main opponent. This might explain why the whole movie looks like a bad SNL skit.
If you are an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan however, don't expect him to show up until the last 15-20 minutes of the movie as the first 60 odd minutes are spent on the group of inept assassins getting together and trying to kill the constantly unseen Gunther. And failing miserably.
The acting in the film is nothing special and the jokes might appeal to young children if they have the misfortune of seeing it. The violence becomes progressively more unrealistic and cartoonish so the juvenile humor is not surprising. The plot is nonsense overall and especially near the end. Overall a dull, dumb, bland and unfunny attempt at a movie.
If you are an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan however, don't expect him to show up until the last 15-20 minutes of the movie as the first 60 odd minutes are spent on the group of inept assassins getting together and trying to kill the constantly unseen Gunther. And failing miserably.
The acting in the film is nothing special and the jokes might appeal to young children if they have the misfortune of seeing it. The violence becomes progressively more unrealistic and cartoonish so the juvenile humor is not surprising. The plot is nonsense overall and especially near the end. Overall a dull, dumb, bland and unfunny attempt at a movie.
under 100 reviews in two years; a deservedly little-seen movie
FieCrier31 October 2019
The idea of a professional assassin who uses only poison because blood makes him projectile vomit is mildly funny. The intentionally godawful song over the end credits is almost mildly funny. Neither warranted a laugh, nor did anything else solicit one. Some people allegedly found this movie funny, but it's anyone's guess as to why - they themselves didn't specify.
See also
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