Stone Cold: A Review of Netflix’s “Heart of Stone”
MI6 agent Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) is tasked with a critical mission: to locate and retrieve a powerful artificial intelligence, known as “The Heart,” from falling into the wrong hands. This AI is the key to the clandestine organization “Charter,” and its loss could have global consequences.
Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone in “Heart of Stone”
Amidst the ongoing Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes in the US, two key demands stand out: regulation of artificial intelligence and transparency from streaming services. Progress on both fronts has been slow, unsurprising given that studios might prefer investing in AI specialists over writers, and are unlikely to reveal viewership statistics that could expose the reality behind streaming’s perceived success.
Enter Netflix’s “Heart of Stone,” a film that feels like a deliberately provocative response to Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible” franchise. However, it lacks artistic merit, suffers from illogical plot points, lacks a distinct identity, and features a script and dialogue that could have been generated by a chatbot.
Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone in “Heart of Stone”
The Plot Thickens (Or Does It?)
The film centers around “Charter,” a shadowy organization that operates beyond the reach of global intelligence agencies, cleaning up their messes. Charter’s power stems from “The Heart,” an advanced AI capable of identifying and neutralizing threats in seconds. Overseeing “The Heart” are highly skilled agents, including Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot), whose double life as a British intelligence operative keeps her entangled in a web of intrigue and betrayal. When “The Heart” is stolen, Stone must utilize her full arsenal to recover the device and uncover some “shocking” secrets along the way.
A Missed Opportunity
The trope of a dangerous weapon in the hands of villains feels ironic coming from Netflix, a company whose ambition knows no bounds. The film, directed by Tom Harper (“The Aeronauts”) and written by Greg Rucka (“The Old Guard”) and Allison Schroeder (“Christopher Robin”), fails to deliver anything beyond a collection of clichés. “Heart of Stone” feels like a mass-produced, multi-million dollar piece of plastic polluting Hollywood’s already fragile ecosystem. While Netflix may believe audiences crave a nostalgic return to international espionage with a modern twist, the film’s predictable plot twists and lack of depth will likely leave viewers bored.
Jamie Dornan as Parker in “Heart of Stone”
Gadot’s Performance: Still Unconvincing?
Gal Gadot’s acting range continues to raise questions. Her lack of on-screen charisma pales in comparison to Tom Cruise, and she seems more comfortable cashing a paycheck than embodying a convincing action star. It’s fitting that Jamie Dornan, equally lacking in charisma, plays the film’s main antagonist, whose storyline quickly loses steam. The supporting cast, including Matthias Schweighöfer from “Army of the Dead” and a cameo by Glenn Close, offers some stability. However, Alia Bhatt (“RRR”) as a hacker with unclear motivations leaves a muddled impression.
A World-Trotting Adventure That Falls Flat
“Heart of Stone” takes viewers from snowy mountains to African deserts, chases through Lisbon streets, and the bleak landscapes of Iceland. The action sequences are reminiscent of Jennifer Lopez’s recent turn in Netflix’s “The Mother,” but ultimately feel futile. As Steven Soderbergh and Nicolas Winding Refn have suggested, Hollywood must either embrace transparency, improve worker pay, and guarantee protection from AI, or face its own demise. The latter, while radical, might not be so heartless after all.