Shadow League: A Comedy Action Flick That Misses the Mark
Kira (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) are former secret agents. Once upon a time, they were key members of the “Shadow League,” an international black ops unit of elite killers. However, love blossomed between Isaac and Kira, leading them to become disillusioned with the League and disappear. The League, of course, didn’t take kindly to this, and made it their primary mission to hunt down and eliminate the runaway couple. When Isaac and his son inadvertently appear in a news report about a bank robbery, it becomes only a matter of time before their former colleagues find them.
Kerry Washington as Kira in “Shadow League”
Joe Carnahan has spent the last two decades building a reputation for himself in the realm of comedic action films. Starting with the micro-budget “Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane” in 1998, which cost a mere $7,300 to produce, he gradually established himself as a director known for movies where friends become enemies and vice versa, and where almost everyone on screen ends up in a massive shootout. Interestingly, in the same year, Guy Ritchie released “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” a film with similar elements but far greater success. The careers of both directors have followed similar trajectories, with some deviations, and in 2025, they find themselves at a low point. Both Ritchie’s “Fountain of Youth” and Carnahan’s “Shadow League” are arguably the worst films of their careers in recent years.
Jeremy Strong in “Shadow League”
Slow Start, Thin Plot
The first chase scene with gunfire in “Shadow League” doesn’t occur until after a painfully drawn-out 50-minute exposition. In that first hour, the audience learns very little about Isaac and Kira’s backgrounds. They love each other, they used to work for the “Shadow League,” they escaped, and now the League, led by Jack Sinder (Mark Strong), is trying to kill them. That’s it. Oh, and they have a son, which is another problem for the film.
The Kid Factor
Kai (Jalil Kamara), Isaac and Kira’s young son, seems to carry the entire comedic and motivational weight of the film. “Where’s Mom?”, “Are we the good guys?”, “Are they the bad guys?” These questions, and others of varying degrees of naivete, are constantly directed at his father, sometimes even repeated. However, the audience never understands why some are bad and others are good, what Mom was doing for the first half-hour of the film, or what the real conflict is between the protagonists and antagonists, other than the fact that the heroes fell in love, which was forbidden. The humor, unfortunately, mostly relies on the child acting like a child in the midst of serious “adult” conversations. It’s genuinely funny a couple of times, but mostly tiresome.
Omar Sy as Isaac in “Shadow League”
Critics often joke that Christopher Nolan’s female characters are motivated by their children at best, and not at all at worst. Joe Carnahan treats everyone equally, so the simple idea of “it’s all for the child” applies to both male and female characters, but it never goes beyond simply stating the idea. Too much relies on a character whose only skill is being cute. The chemistry between Mark Strong, Omar Sy, and Kerry Washington is unfortunately close to zero, despite the fact that they are all excellent actors.
Action and Other redeeming qualities
Of course, “Shadow League” has its good points. For example, the fight scenes and action are well-executed, but there aren’t enough of them, and almost all occur in the second half. Comedic action films can be forgiven for stupidity or lack of planning, but when the lack of dynamism and action becomes noticeable, everything else falls apart. A film like “John Wick” also has a flawed plot, but thanks to well-placed, outstanding action sequences and Keanu Reeves’ charisma, the plot remains an optional accessory, not a huge, ridiculous backdrop. And Omar Sy, unfortunately, is no Keanu Reeves. Why Sy’s character occasionally switches from English to French is another mystery, but a minor one compared to the rest.