The easy mesh of the actors sells us the relationship: Foster the tinder-dry joker to Pine’s quiet man.

There’s a tense, tightly constructed thriller here — and Chris Pine makes a decent play as a neo-Bourne.

There is a bleak poetry to Davis script, as the men reckon with the things theyve done as lifelong warriors. Theres no pontificating, just a few choice words and details that add nuance to a story, or flip it on its back.

The Contractor is one more generic action flick with a story borrowed directly from the formulaic Hollywood closet, without any surprises or even high entertainment levels.