Just a few weeks after the release of the armed forces “dramedy” Dog, Hollywood calls upon another of its “hunkiest” action stars/leading men to don the “camo” and “gear up”. Now there’s no specially trained canines to chase after in this film, but like Channing Tatum’s Briggs, this movie’s focus wants desperately to get “back in” and rejoin his “band of brothers” in the current “hot spot”. If only he was given a road trip/mission like Briggs. That’s the main reason his “title” changes. He’s not “the soldier”, but rather The Contractor.

That “warrior” is named James (Chris Pine), who is still considered “wounded”. We first see him in his early morning routine in order to get his body back into fighting shape after taking a bullet to his right knee in his last tour of duty. But the jogging and the weightlifting...