This film is like the ghost of action-conspiracy thrillers past and of action-conspiracy thrillers to come. It is a mere shadow of the better films in the genre despite that fact all the constituent parts are there. Explosions, car chases, hoo-ha gruntastic fight scenes, tough guys not playing by the book and Basil Exposition when required.

Idris Elba put his all into his Luther-lite role which he can do in his sleep but he is not helped by a very bland Richard Madden and Charlotte Le Bon who bring nothing to their characters than ‘seen it all beforeism’ and they aren’t helped by poorly sketched roles bordering on preposterous. Madden is not helped by starting the film with the most ridiculous pick-pocket scene ever filmed and he looks quite useless at the actual pickpocketing too. La Bon is planting a bomb in an office but only to scare people – she is so ideology driven she is prepared to use a time-bomb in Paris but doesn’t want to hurt anyone. The noise you can hear is my imagination being stretched.

The entire film though is let down by the utterly ridiculous story line as the baddy José Garcia – a Gallic Robert Downey Junior – sets up the most complex, uncontrollable scheme to rob France’s currency reserve of €100Bn or some other Dr Evil total and run away to the Bahamas. Notwithstanding that with the amount of people involved would mean they would probably end up with a couple of million each but how much does his rather prestigious role pay to have been driven to this? It does not make any sense and makes less sense as it goes along. Now considering people and blown up and brutally murdered throughout I am assuming this is not a superhero movie but a thriller for adults – who think. I felt a little insulted as I watched the silliness unfold.

Truth be told if you like Idris Elba there’s enough on display to keep you happy, if you look quick punching action and shooting, there’s enough here but also if you are an aficionado of these films there is nothing here you haven’t seen before and done better with better logic.