True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016) User Reviews

Great fun

[Plazeebo · 7/10 · 12 November 2016]

Saw this on Netflix today, and it's actually quite funny. With support from class actors such as Andy Garcia and Kim Coates, and Andy Howard in a role he plays oh so well - as a bad guy, we got a nice setup here. Zulay Henao is great as the female lead, and the writing is not as lazy as you would expect. The story is pretty much as you would expect from the trailer, so don't expect to be immersed in storytelling, but do expect to laugh and genuinely feel for Kevin James' character.

I gave it a 7, and I'm not sure the premise could have scored more than that, so if you need something to watch on Netflix today, I recommend this.

Totally Could Happen...

[Instant_Palmer · 5/10 · 9 January 2021]

😂 Ok so that was a flippant statement, as this film presents the most ridiculously far-fetched plot yet for a Kevin James movie. However, credit director Jeff Wadlow for re-writing and adapting the script to fit the Kevin James comedy style, and maintaining a non-stop pace in this action-comedy.

Well-casted, this movie is non-stop action fun and always lets the audience know IT knows YOU know this is just for fun. It never attempts to act like it's more than what it is - a simple slap-stick/action farce with Kevin repeating his now pigeon holed character. It's worthy of no more than a 5/10, but still a fun (albeit mindless) flick to watch when in the mood for such. If you like Kevin James movies, no problem - it's a watch. If you don't, pass on it.

good if you just want to chill

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 13 November 2016]

Kevin James makes me laugh. He's always the same, I know, and he doesn't have anywhere near the range of the late John Candy, for instance, but there's something about that Blue Collar Everyman that is appealing.

Here he stars in "True Memoirs of an International Assassin" from 2016. He plays Sam, an insurance man writing the fictional story of an international hit man. He relies on a former operative friend, Amos (Ron Rifkin) to give his book more reality.

One day Amos tells him the story of an international assassin who disappeared and was thought dead, The Ghost, though he insists it's not for the book.

Before you can say The Ghost, of course, Sam has built this phantom into his story. And because his details are a little too correct, he soon finds himself in a heap of trouble.

There are some very funny performances here, especially from Kelen Coleman as Sam's agent/publisher. Her office is at Starbuck's, and she changes her name each time she orders coffee because there are so many writers there, she doesn't want them to know who she is.

Andy Garcia is great as El Toro; Zulay Henao is tough and powerful as a lone female agent in Venezuela; Andrew Howard gives a funny performance as Anton Masovich, strutting around with a loud voice and killing people. The whole cast was top-notch.

This is an action picture so expect things to blow up and see a lot of fighting. It's all in fun. It's Kevin James after all - and right about now, he was just what I needed.

I liked it!

[dcobbimdb · 7/10 · 28 December 2016]

I mean seriously, you have films like Bond, MI and Borne and while all those bring training and other stuff to the table, at the end of the day for us moviegoers it's all about entertainment, at least IMO...

Nothing against those more serious movie types but at times the seriousness of them and the probability of something bad happening at any time is high, thus the belivability starts to decline, again at least IMO.

A movie like this works for me, it's plucky, humorous, doesn't take itself serious yet delivers on action and to some degree certain moments of suspense.

Is this a movie I'm going to remember 10 years down the road? No... But it was a worthwhile watch for the hear and now

A writer is mistaken for an assassin when trying to sell his book.

[johnrayy · 7/10 · 11 December 2016]

First off, this is a good movie. This is an entertaining movie. This is a funny movie. This is a movie that makes you smile.

No, this isn't the best movie of all time and no it's not going to win an Oscar. But, actually Andy Garcia puts in a very notable performance. He makes his character come alive. Garcia obviously comes from the school of thought, "There are no small roles."

There is an innocent quality to this movie and I think above all else this is the reason I was left with such a good feeling while watching it. The story moves along well and at a good pace. The story is also believable, for the most part. There are a couple of times in the plot where the movie is asking us to suspend our disbelief a bit too much, but by the time this happens the story worked in some conveniences which makes this more palatable.

This isn't a perfect movie, but the bottom line is: it is very enjoyable and well made. It knows what it is and doesn't over extend it's reach. And as far as the Netflix original movies with Adam Sandler's company go: it was the best so far!

I also feel this movie would have done very well in the box office if it was in theaters.

It has comedy, it has action, romance and good story telling. It's a clever, little lighthearted movie and it deserves a higher rating then it got on here. I honestly feel people are forgetting how to review movies. A movie doesn't have to be dark or brilliant to be good.

This is a good movie, watch it!

[nheppding · 7/10 · 11 November 2016]

Obviously it's not great, but it's definitely totally fine, give it a watch!

I love Kevin James, I'll watch anything with this guy in it. Do you like other movies with Kevin James? Because this is another one. The action is well done and I laughed out loud a few times. There are worse ways to spend a Friday night, I promise.

Kevin James is a writer who people think is actually an assassin but he's so good at writing he becomes the assassin. Someone truly zany came up with this one and it's laugh out loud wild ride funny. It also happens to be shot super nice, which is a total plus!

Seriously, it's on Netflix streaming right now, what are you waiting for?!

"Still need a good signature line."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 July 2020]

Well, it's got the word 'assassin' in the title, and since I've got an ongoing IMDb list that focuses on assassins, I thought I'd give this a try. The funny thing is, I don't think the main character in the movie ever killed anybody now that I think of it. That's because Samuel J. Larson (Kevin James) is an insurance actuary and would-be adventure novelist who's invented the fictional character Mason Carver. He's drawn into a Venezuelan coup attempt by virtue of a literary agent reinventing his persona from a fiction writer to a real life, globe spanning killer for hire.

As insane as the whole idea sounds, this is generally a fun movie that keeps pace with it's action and humor. What's impressive are the fight scenes and martial art encounters involving actors Kevin James and Zulay Henao portraying DEA agent Rosa Bolivar. Those sequences seamlessly place their stunt doubles into the middle of the action without compromising someone like James, who's size and weight precludes an ability to fly through the air with the greatest of ease. I liked Bolivar in her role, fortunately the story line didn't try to make the most of a romantic entanglement between her character and partner Sam Larson.

The story itself introduces a host of characters conspiring to do away with each other in the hotbed of Venezuelan drug trafficking, mercenaries for hire, and political corruption. The one liners come rapidly and take some of the edge off an entirely implausible story, so if you're up for something just a little bit different, this one might fill the bill for you. Kevin James fans should be particularly pleased.

Intense mall cop?

[alienbikershrek · 3/10 · 12 November 2016]

This is honestly the representation of if Spy and Paul Blart Mall Cop procreated at a one star motel one hazy night and created this. I enjoyed the unique shots but I'm on the bend of whether or not this can be classed as a serious film rather than a streaming site action comedy. Also, the plot seemed to ultimately go nowhere? Besides that, the lines the main character said for the comedic bits were super cheesy. But, what really, really, ground my gears was the shitty CGI. You can tell exactly where the green screen was because the characters were very high def and the added backgrounds or whatnot looked really poor. The blending of the two wasn't properly added and spoiled the whole thing.

A lot better than you'd think

[cbnewham · 7/10 · 13 July 2020]

I don't often laugh out loud at jokes in movies, but I did three times in this one. The story is silly, it could have done with a bit of tightening up here and there, but on the whole it's just enjoyable nonsense.

A solid seven stars.

Confusing, Lacklustre and boring

[kvorgias · 3/10 · 12 August 2019]

Ok, I almost fell asleep watching and hay 3 out of 10 best Kevin James movie ever.

Not a moment wasted.

[gulli_peturs · 8/10 · 2 January 2017]

Full disclosure: In my frank opinion, these types of Sandleresque films as a whole get scored way too low. They do not aim high, but usually hit the mark quite accurately.

This film is, simply put, fun. There was not a moment where I got bored or thought about switching to something else. When judging films one must consider the films intentions. of course this isn't Schindler's List or LotR: Return of the king, but what it aims to do, it does wonderfully.

While I was watching this film there was not a moment where I thought 'This is boring' or 'I want to switch to something else'.

If you want a lighthearted, yet action packed comedy/action movie, this one fits there perfectly.

Not your usual thing

[rps-2 · 7/10 · 13 November 2016]

This is a very violent movie but its violence is that of a Tom and Jerry cartoon. It's a farce, a satire, a send-up with lots of hidden gags and visual puns. The lead character is a timid author who writes a fictional story in the first person about an international assassin. After his agent changes the title to TRUE memoirs etc. etc., it becomes a best seller and people start thinking it's a real biography and our author/hero ends up assassinating the president of Venezuela. Why they hit on Venezuela rather than some fictional Latin American country is puzzling because it is the butt of any number of jokes, insults and clichés. Not a great movie but it's a clever plot and there are a lot of laughs.

Wasted 1.5hrs of my life

[schou016 · 1/10 · 18 November 2016]

I watched Mall Cop awhile back and it was terrible, so when I saw on Netflix telling me that I would like this movie and suggested rating of 4.5 star, I decided to give this movie a chance.

Sadly, it was just as bad and as sh*tty as Mall Cop.

The story line was generic as a slice of stale bread, and so predictable that I was bleeding out of my eyes by the end of the movie.

The poor pathetic "action" scenes were so boring that I sat there dumb founded at how retarded it was.

The best "action" scene was 1 hr and 29 minutes into the f*cking movie, which was literally the last 3 minutes of the movie. Even the freaking ending was so predictable that I was shaking my head in disbelief at how generic it was.

I wasted pretty much 1.5 hours of my life in which I could've been way more productive like taking a sh*t in my bathroom or giving my dog a bath than watching this 0 star movie.

All in all, don't bother watching it. If you hated Mall Cop, you'll hate this one too.

No offense to Kevin James, but he should probably stop making these "action" comedy movies. There is no action, there is no comedy, it all leaves the audience brain dead and wishing they had sucked sh*t out of the toilet with a straw instead.

(Living) Fantasy

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 15 March 2021]

Or daydreaming of sorts. A lot of people had dreams or fantasies like that. Being a hero, being a spy, fighting for a good cause and fighting against evil. And Kevin James or rather the character he portrays here has the same thing going on for him. And it really is fun to watch this. Having seen similar themed movies recently, I have to admit this was more than enjoyable.

And the stunt work is really phenomenal - plus it does not take itself too serious. Some jokes may seem offensive to some, but overall you should not be too sensitive on things, because the mood and tone is overall the right one for this type of comedy. So action, jokes and tension from start to finish - what else do you want? Oh travel to other countries also check ...

Way funnier than I thought

[mayramb-127-472107 · 7/10 · 11 October 2019]

I saw this with my family because we are Venezuelans and we thought let's see what this is about, and I was sure it was going to suck. But I was so wrong, this was really funny, but I think it was extra funny for me because I am from Caracas and I could see everything was so fake that made me laugh, besides I felt very close to the main plot... they are trying to kill the president, that is our collective dream. I also enjoyed the acting of most of the characters specially Andy Garcia was the best! So if you are bored and want to see something light you can watch this

Funny is not the word bu " The Ghost" is the word.

[xoxo411 · 7/10 · 26 January 2017]

For a while as the movie started and proceeded for 15 minutes I thought it was not going to pick up speed. Then i got into the groove and started imagining like my hero. I am familiar with his moves since I like to do the same. I an sure there are lot like me as well. Then came the real part when he is called out for an assignment. Some of it reminded me it was a movie because the impossible were happening but in a humorous way. I was able to settled with that score. As the movie proceeded I thought he will fall in love with the chick but he was a true professional to the core. He knew what was to happen next and so he was well prepared like Sherlock Holmes. He is honest, humble and simple and that was what attracted the war lords. Mysteriously he was always saved at the last second. That was awesome direction by the director. I guess the hero knows it since it is his book of action. Audience like me were momentarily worried about our hero's safety. The female operative is stunning and her good looks did not seem to mesmerize our hero. I must say it was a fun filling movie and quite relaxing . I give it a 7

Looking for a good signature line...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 18 November 2016]

I have always liked Kevin James, so it was with some expectation that I sat down to watch "True Memoirs of an International Assassin", and I will say that I was more than genuinely entertained by this movie in all its hilarious glory.

The movie starts out quite alright, with Kevin James putting on a wonderfully great action-packed sequence. And I must admit that it had me fooled at first, because I thought that it was putting down the standard of what the movie would be, in case it would be something much different than I had thought. But of course it turned out that it was the events of the fictional character in the book that Sam Larson (played by Kevin James) was writing. But we are indeed of to a great start here.

"True Memoirs of an International Assassin" continues in high speed and combines a great mixture of action, drama and comedy into a very enjoyable cocktail. The storyline is fun, fast-paced and is one that reach out to the audience and takes you on a thrilling ride.

The characters in "True Memoirs of an International Assassin" were as colorful and detailed as the storyline, which really helped the movie along quite nicely. Kevin James was great in the role of Sam Larson / Mason Carver, and he was joined by an equally great Zulay Henao (playing Rosa Bolivar). But the movie also gives us some hilarious performances from Kim Coates (playing President Miguel Cueto), Andrew Howard (playing Anton Masovich), Maurice Compte (playing Juan) and Andy Garcia (playing El Toro).

There is a lot of action scenes throughout the course of this movie, and they were quite nicely executed, especially since they were often spiced up with just the right amount of comedy. And as for the comedy in the movie, well lets just say that it was great and spot on.

I was more than genuinely entertained and amused with "True Memoirs of an International Assassin", and it was nice to see Kevin James back in what he does best. If you haven't already seen this movie and if you like comedies, then you most definitely should take the time to sit down and watch "True Memoirs of an International Assassin".

I am rating "True Memoirs of an International Assassin" a solid six out of ten stars, because it is an all-round hilarious and entertaining movie.

Barely amusing, well produced but without any personal touch

[Blik Revil · 5/10 · 27 November 2016]

I saw the ad, liked the idea and started Netflix a few minutes later. In recent years, there were quite some movies with the same basic setting that stood out and were fun to watch, e.g. "The Man Who Knew Too Little" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120483/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_49).

Unfortunately this movie will not become one to be remembered in a few years to come. It is an example of a streamlined, mass-production Hollywood blueprint without any surprises: Everyone with just basic knowledge of movies could easily predict what would happen next. It clearly had budget and the actors are good, but the story was - even with all these action scenes - rather slow and couldn't gain speed.

On top of that, this movie cannot decide whether it's a comedy or an action movie. People will get shot or killed otherwise throughout the movie quite explicitly (sometimes even with rather large sprays of blood), preventing it clearly from being suitable to minors. (Especially since killing of - even decent! - people is shown as nothing of great value.)

To state it clearly: If I would have had to pay admission for this, I would have been upset. Since it came with my Netflix package without extra charge, I was only slightly bored.

Bottom line: 100% average in all aspects, keep it on the long list for a long winter evening...

Not half bad

[Kingslaay · 7/10 · 7 June 2019]

Surprised by the low ratings on here. I guess Sheep do what sheep do best without an independent thought.

This film is no Oscar contender but it's pretty entertaining and interesting. I thought it would be some cheesy film where the main guy turns out to be some super hero by the end and gets the girl but that didn't happen. We were often reminded that Kevin James was in over his head and while he adapted he still often fell flat on his face in comedic fashion. Quite an interesting adventure in Venezuela and overall kinda decent.

7.5/10

Brain-off entertainment

[Gordon-11 · 7 January 2017]

This film tells the story of a man who struggles to write his first novel, which is about an assassin. When his book is released, his agent promoted his novel as a true story. Venezuelans abduct him and hence he gets involved in coups and assassination plans involving multiple fractions of the country.

This is the first film I watched in 4K on my TV, and the picture quality is crystal clear. Yet, the mesmerising picture quality does not make up for the silly story. What happens in the story is very unrealistic and at times downright silly. However, there are a few moments when it is funny, such as the two CIA agents chatting in their office about the author. "True Memoirs of an International Assassin" is made to be a genuine brain-off entertainment.

So so.

[krzysiektom · 5/10 · 23 March 2021]

The first 15 or 20 minutes are very good, until it gets to Venezuela... The rest of the film is comedy actioner by numbers: lazy script, little laughs, a bit of action, all a bit boring and predictable at times. The film is like a lazy, unimaginative rehash of "Romancing the Stone" with Douglas and DeVito, though of course that one was a much better movie. At least the tomb raider-like, ass kicking girl that helps the main character is excellent and pretty hot.

Funny, original and well made

[phd_travel · 9/10 · 19 November 2016]

Just watched this Netflix comedy and was pleasantly surprised. The production values are high and the writing is funny with lots of laugh out loud moments and good one liners. The story is original with a person who writes a novel about an assassin but his publisher markets it as a true story. Things get quite complicated as he gets caught up in different factions wanting to assassinate the other in Venezuela.

Kevin James as always amazes with lots of physical dexterity despite his size. Zulay Henao plays a female DEA agent and she has some amusing and snappy action sequences and fight scenes. Her dialog with Kevin James is quite hilarious. Andy Garcia gets quite a few comic roles these days and he is good. Liked Maurice Compte - Colonel Carrillo from Narcos in a supporting role.

One of the best Kevin James movies.

It's funny

[sscottgsi · 7/10 · 17 July 2019]

It's a funny movie. It's not art but it wasn't meant to be.

I've seen much worse, then again I've seen much better

[tyleramato-28680 · 3/10 · 21 November 2016]

So I decided to waste an hour and thirty minutes of my life on Netflix's newest film courtesy of their deal with Adam Sandler to put out six "original" movies, the first two being "The Ridiculous Six" and "The Do-Over", which haven't garnered a warm exception from critics but did very well with Netflix's audience, so now here we are with "True Memoirs of an International Assassin", and surprisingly it ain't too bad, it's definitely not good, solid, nor decent but it's a step up from the other two films, probably because Adam Sandler is nowhere to be seen. The direction from Jeff Wadlow is decent, the editing is surprisingly really good, and Kevin James is not a bad actor, but this is nothing more than an average, cliché action comedy that mostly falls flat on its face, it's a bit of a shame though because the premise is an interesting one that could have been done better with a more focused team behind the scenes.

The Abduction of an International Assassin

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 3 December 2016]

"Sam Larson" (Kevin James) is an aspiring writer who desperately wants to have a spy novel he is working on to get published. Although he has a vivid imagination he depends on a friend named "Amos" (Ron Rifkin) to give him inspiration for his book due to the fact that Amos once worked as a clerk for the Israeli intelligence service and has plenty of knowledge on the subject of espionage. Then one day Amos tells him a story which so excites Sam that he immediately puts every detail down in his book even though Amos had sworn him to secrecy. However, no sooner does his book hit the internet then Sam is abducted by a Venezuelan revolutionary named "El Toro" (Andy Garcia) who believes him to be an infamous assassin known as "the Ghost" and orders him to kill the President of Venezuela. To make matters even worse, he is subsequently abducted by a Russian narcotics dealer named "Anton Masovich" (Andrew Howard) who instructs him to kill El Toro. Not long after that he is abducted once again by a general loyal to the Venezuelan President who demands that he kill Anton. And all three men mean business. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a decent comedy which contained plenty of action from start to finish. Although the acting wasn't great by any means, the plot had several twists and turns along the way which kept things interesting for the most part. Likewise, having a beautiful actress like Zulay Henao certainly didn't hurt either. In short, this was a somewhat entertaining film which I believe some viewers may enjoy and all things considered I rate it as slightly above average.