GRADE: C-

THIS FILM IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: Except for a strong performance by Jennifer Lawrence, this is one of the worst spy films ever.

JIM'S REVIEW: Did any of you moviegoers out there happen to see last year's espionage thriller, Atomic Blonde? It told the story of a seductive female spy using her martial skills and sexuality as a lethal weapon to combat enemy agents. At least, that film was high energy and stylishly filmed. Red Sparrow follows that same not-so-secret formula, with more talk violence, and sex to tell its predictable story. Perhaps a better alias might have been Code Name: Anemic Blonde, as this film version may follow the same course of events, but it's a real yawn-fest. You know, the standard double crosses and fight sequences are intact and expected in this genre.

The story goes something like this: Dominika Egorova, a premier ballerina for the Kirov Ballet, is unexpectedly forced to change jobs in order to support her ailing mother. (Are there any other types in Russia?) Dom is blackmailed to become a master spy by her evil Uncle Vanya (no relation to Chekov, although it could have used his creative talents). So it's off to Sparrow School or "whore school" for some in-depth training . Our little minx is taught how to be a successful spy in seven easy lessons that include sexual humiliation, rape, and violent charades. The film meanders and takes its time indoctrinating our heroine with the art of the spy prior to her mission as she is trained to use her body a tad more than her mind. After graduating the top in her class (or bottom, she's not fussy, the state owns her body now), Dom is send by the KGB to go on a mission to seduce a CIA agent and assess some sort of file...who knows, who cares. There are so many double crosses, amid violent scenes of gore and torture, that the film loses any shred of credibility.

Red Sparrow does boast a fine performance by Jennifer Lawrence. She uses her Natasha Fatale accent quite well and makes a convincing anti-hero, even if the Tonya Harding bangs are a bit much. Too bad the actress is written as a mere sexual toy by Justin Haythe who is more interested in creating clever ways to depict gratuitous nudity (mostly Ms. Lawrence and some refreshing male frontal shots) and shocking violence in its frequent torture scenes to tell its tale.

Oh, the mission...something about finding a mole. The plot grew very confusing and more convoluted as the film progressed. All the sinister talk and pointless exposition was tedious and under developed. By the midpoint of the movie, in my mind, this spy's license to kill was revoked and reissued as a license to bore.

The sluggish script introduces some sketchy stock characters, then they disappear, only to return later for no apparent reason. Their motives made no sense and their allegiances shifted throughout the movie as par for the course in these espionage thrillers. The jerky story structure goes global from one scenic European city to the next with occasional stops in Russia, but everything seemed off kilter as did some anachronistic props that had this reviewer questioning the time period of the story at one point (floppy discs?)

Francis Lawrence (no relation to Ms. Lawrence, although it could have used her creative talents) does a sub-par job at directing, building no suspense at all. To keep the moviegoing audience awake, he throws in location sights to add authenticity while objectifying Ms. Lawrence in every conceivable nude scene in the most voyeuristic way. He also prolongs the torture sequences with a graphic glee. It is a exploitive cinematic step backwards.

Except for Ms. Lawrence, the acting was disappointing, especially coming from a talented cast that included: Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Claran Hinds, Bill Camp, Douglas Hodge, and Jeremy Irons. Matthias Schoenaerts is the villainous uncle and he overplays the part. No animals may have been killed in the making of this movie, but the Russian accents were certainly mangled. Except for Ms. Lawrence's consistent diction, nothing else was remotely believable. Joel Edgerton is Dominika's love interest, Nate Nash, a perfect name for a comic book superhero, but merely unintentionally comic as played by this usually reliable actor. The chemistry between Ms. Lawrence and a miscast charmless Mr. Eggerton is non-existent.

Red Sparrow is for the birds.