The movie Red Notice starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot was one of the movies that I was most looking forward to when they announced that they would be making it. The day it got released on Netflix I watched it and, sadly, I was very disappointed.
Maybe I was expecting too much and thought it would be more of an action-adventure film but it turned out to be more of an action-comedy film. I thought the movie was well made and it did have the right amount of action, but I felt that something was missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something felt lacking when I was seeing it.
To be fair, the actors did their best with the roles that they were given. I think the way that the story was written was where things just did not go very well. At times I felt that the story was too predictable and too cheesy – I mean, I am aware that it is a comedy but still, I felt the story went over the top with it. I felt that the actors were underutilized in this movie. They could have done more if the material gave them the opportunity to. Sadly, they seemed to be cast into their stereotypical roles with Dwayne Johnson doing what he always does in most action comedies, Ryan Reynolds is the fast-talking funny guy and Gal Gadot being this serious action diva. If you expect them to act differently from their other movies, you will be disappointed. I’m not saying that those roles would not be a good combination, but given that Johnson has done strong guy with fast-talking funny guy movies before (with Kevin Hart), I’d choose that combination over this one anytime.
Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to the action, this movie delivered. The heist scenes, the chase sequences (one of which reminded me of an Indiana Jones movie), that whole escape from prison scene…there is a lot of action to enjoy in the movie. I felt that there was something missing with the movie, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t entertaining at all because it was in some parts.
One thing that I’d have to give to the movie was the twists on the characters and how nothing was ever as it seemed with everyone at any given point in the movie. I thought that was a good way to keep the viewers guessing when the other parts felt predictable. I thought the whole idea of the jeweled eggs from Marc Antony to Cleopatra was a good start to the story. For some reason, I think Hollywood has a thing for the story of these two historical figures because I remember a TV action/adventure series called Blood and Treasure that featured the search for the lost tomb of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. As a bit of a history nerd, I was interested in this part of the story. It’s too bad that it wasn’t really given that much focus. Not that I can blame the movie, since going too serious with that part might have ruined the comedy of it all.
The part that I found annoying about the whole movie was how at the end of the film the theft was all so that the eggs could be a wedding gift to some wealthy guy for his daughter, who did not really care for them anyway. The kicker was how (SPOILER) the bride and her father were arrested for the theft of the eggs during the wedding reception along with Ed Sheeran (in a cameo as a special guest during the wedding as himself), all this happening while Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot watch from a safe distance.
Would I recommend this film? Maybe not. My family seemed to enjoy it though so it may be a personal taste thing. Maybe I just don’t enjoy movies like this anymore. Best I could say is to try at your own risk.
No comments
Post a Comment