The 355 is something of an oddity.

On the one hand it is a progressive female led spy thriller, with a diverse cast, and a message of inclusivity, unity and working together despite our difference

On the other, it is a “by the numbers” retreading of tropes and set pieces we have seen numerous times before.

You want a renegade agent who doesn’t play by the rule? Check! You want a retired agent who gets dragged back in against her will? Check! How about the civilian who, through no fault of her own gets caught up in a world ending threat? Check!

Every single thing you expect from a spy thriller, from the world ending macguffin, to the deceiving double agent is here. Almost every plot twist (save a couple of minor shocks) is signposted almost immediately, and at times the dialogue feels like it has been written by someone who has never interacted with another human before

Which is a shame because there is some good in here. Unfortunately it feels like a lot of the interesting themes have been stripped back. Whether that is due to studio interfering, or just a poor script, remains to be seen.

The idea of rogue spies, from different agencies around the world joining up to fight back together is interesting. They could have had some fun with the different methods used, the different skills sets they have acquired, the different fighting styles they will have been taught… but, they don’t. Instead, other than Lupita Nyongo’o’s Khadijah, they all become fairly interchangeable. 

Other than a scene early on there is very little tension between the protagonists, making it hard to believe in their relationship, or the ragtag partnership they put together.

And to top it all off, at various points in the film, they’re just not very good spies, consistently blowing cover, trusting the wrong people, and getting others killed. It makes the scenes where they show even basic levels of competence feel unearned.

So all of this taken into account, I was surprised as anyone when, roughly halfway through, I realised I was having fun with it. 

All of the issues I’ve highlighted were still there, but I found that, despite their flaws, I was engaged with the characters. I cared about them and wanted them to win. Even though the action sequences have been done better elsewhere, the choreography of the fights were enjoyable and well shot, and the globetrotting nature of the film lent itself to some nice visuals; The scenes in Morocco being particularly well done.

I think it’s also worth noting how little fanfare the film gives itself for having a diverse female led cast. It just gets on with the job at hand, making no concessions, and without feeling a need to justify itself in a male-centric genre. It was refreshing to see, and I would have liked to see more of it, now that the groundwork has been done.

Unfortunately, based on the lacklustre promotional campaign, it would appear that the studio had lost faith in this franchise in waiting, long before it hit the cinemas, and unless the box office figures surpass all expectations, it seems likely that The 355 will be forgotten almost as quickly as it arrived.