Arnold is back (again) but you'll be killing time before anyone starts killing Gunther in this hitman mockumentary.

Here's a bit of advice before you start watching Killing Gunther: try not to take it seriously. Luckily, writer, lead actor and first-time director Taran Killam doesn't seem to be either. His mockumentary with a killer edge features a recognisable line-up of sitcom and Saturday Night Live familiar faces, headed up by the star billing of Arnold Schwarzenegger. When he's not firing people on The Apprentice or arguing with Trump, he's masquerading as the world's greatest hitman (not showman) - Gunther.

Killing Gunther has a TV comedy (almost The Office) feel to it, and it's action-packed with no shortage of self-aware silliness. The general plot follows Blake (Killam) as an eccentric hitman who seemingly wants to be the best by taking out the world's best, Gunther. In an age of Avengers, Expendables and various other Squads, teamwork makes a dream work and the common dream of killing Gunther leads to an odd mishmash of personalities. There's poison-obsessed, non-gun Yong (Aaron Yoo), explosive Donnie (Bobby Moynihan), Sanaa (Hannah Simone, worlds apart from New Girl) and many more who don't really make much of an impact. They're more caricature than deadly but that's the fun of it. And in an age of "pics or it didn't happen", naturally you would be compelled to hire a documentary crew too because, why not? As a result, it brings about an unusually fresh approach to the otherwise repetitive genre. The mishmash applies to plotlines too, however, and it ends up being the assassin version of a wild goose chase. It doesn't take much guessing to guess that such a large group of killers will end up being killed, and even less of a guess to guess whodunnit.

It takes a while to get into it, and there's also a catch: Arnie takes his sweet time to join the party. You could excuse him because Gunther's clearly so talented and light-footed if he's as good as they say he is... Or, perhaps, it was literally all in a day's work. If you came here to watch the return of Schwarzenegger you may feel short-changed, but when he is actually on-screen, he's delightfully funny and clearly having a ball. He may not be legendary for his acting skills, but he's always well worth a watch nonetheless. Who else would even think about ripping off a fridge door to use as a weapon? And I bet you've never seen him in tinted glasses and a butterfly suit!?

For a first film, it's intriguing enough and a half-decent first attempt. They're playing for more obvious laughs and the script can often come across as obviously improvised if that's your kinda thing. It's hardly a sophisticated film and Killam's brainchild is more of a mindless watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Having said that, there are some nice touches, especially if you view it as an extended TV comedy rather than a fully-fledged film. Killam's real-life wife Colbie Smulders also makes a reliable appearance, representing the "personal" side to the story. Also, the fact that this has gone straight to Video On Demand means you could always play Where's Wally with Gunther and skip ahead if need be. You probably wouldn't watch it again, but there's fun to be had by embracing a silly film when you know it's going to be silly from the get-go. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Killing Gunther is available to download now from iTunes, Amazon, Rakuten TV, Sky Store and more! 

Watch the trailer here: