Netflix’s recent spy action film, Heart of Stone, featuring Gal Gadot, failed to live up to its blockbuster expectations upon release. Despite anticipation for its success, the film ultimately fell short in impressing audiences on a global scale.
The movie follows intelligence officer Rachel Stone, played by the talented Gal Gadot, as she sets out on a risky mission to protect the enigmatic object known as “the heart”. Rachel’s mission is to maintain peace and prevent the object from falling into the wrong hands. Although Heart of Stone is an ambitious franchise opener in the action genre, it tries to cram too many flashy elements into its two-hour runtime towards the end. Introducing secret intelligence missions, global issues, and AI influences causes the story to become scattered, making it difficult to focus on Rachel’s journey as the strong female lead.
USA Today suggests that the film Heart of Stone could potentially benefit from being included in an action movie series to enhance its understandability. However, as an independent feature, its dense plot poses challenges for building the fictional world and developing characters. Consequently, protagonist Rachel comes across as kind, but viewers struggle to grasp the depths of her psychology and personal history.
Heart of Stone isn’t half bad, mostly because of the incredible performance by Gal Gadot. She effortlessly embodies the role, infusing Wonder Woman’s strength into the character of Rachel Stone. The mix of charisma and aloofness has given us a fresh, lovable version of Rachel. But, as charming as Gadot may be, her performance alone isn’t enough to keep Heart of Stone engaging.