'Red Notice' review: Where's notice for utter disappointment of ventures?
Netflix spent around $200mn on its much-awaited, costliest venture, Red Notice. Starring heavyweights Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot, the heist-themed action-comedy was one of the leading attractions at the platform's live stream event, TUDUM: A Netflix Global Fan Event, too. The nearly two-hour film finally dropped Friday and I simply feel cheated. For all the hype, there's little conviction. Here's our review.
FBI agent, art thief team up to defeat 'The Bishop'
As we saw in the trailer, Johnson is top FBI agent John Hartley, who is set to catch "world's greatest art thief," Ryan Reynolds's Nolan Booth. However, his plan doesn't map out perfectly, for Gal Gadot's "The Bishop" seems to get better of the duo every time. In order to beat The Bishop, Hartley and Booth grudgingly join hands. Sounds simple, right? It isn't.
You'll find it hard to let go of logic here
Along with flashy action sequences and Reynolds's quirky one-liners (he is never getting out of this image, is he?), the movie offers little logic. While all films don't require logic (call it suspension of disbelief), what's happening on the screen must give you such enjoyment that you can let go of critical thinking. Red Notice has those moments, but only like twice or thrice.
The stars never become actual characters; it's all flashy, fake
Writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber's narrative will remind you of various other films—James Bond, Indiana Jones, Johnson's Jumanji movies, and even our very own Race franchise. There's a lot of chasing, many incredulous moments, and double-crosses that you see from a mile away. Ultimately, there's nothing new. The stars do shine, but like stars—they all look dapper all the time, not once sporting a scratch.
Nothing is genuine here, movie gets 1.5/5
What hurts even more—movie-watching itself is a painful experience—is the characters of Johnson, Reynolds, Gadot are basically the same. It's as if makers were scared of making any of them (all three play superheroes now) bow down so they handed consolation prizes to all. Now I ask, where's the notice for utter disappointments? Verdict: We serve Red Notice 1.5/5. Please try more next time!