Updated: Dec 10, 2021
Welcome back you everyone. It is I, Doc Comeau and I am not good at writing on a schedule. Recording and editing consume my life, but I finally got some time to watch another movie. Today we are reviewing Netflix's new Red Notice. A new action comedy starring the Rock, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot.
Authored by Doc Comeau on Monday, November 15th, 2021 at 3:04 PM EST
Red Notice was your average action crime drama sprinkled with the Rock and Reynold's unique brand of comedy. It's the story of a bunch of Art thieves racing to obtain the same priceless Eqyption artifacts to get the score of a lifetime. It is Ocean's Eleven meets Deadpool.
Red notice was Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, the man behind the comedy classic Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Thurber is a San Fransico born film Producer and Director. Aside from the two films mention prior he Directed Easy A and Skyscraper at 2018 film also starring Dwayne the Rock Johnson. I have only seen the first two films mentioned and I found both funny and enjoyable.
Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson is Special Agent John Hartley, a Profiler for the FBI. He must join forces with the man he helped lock away in order to clear his name and stop the international art their who set him up. A role that the Rock filled perfectly.
The man Hartley put in prison and is forced to partner with is the greatest art thief known to the law, Nolan Booth portrayed by Ryan Reynolds. Booth is in constant competition with Hartley's new suspect and perfectly suited to helping him track her down. As always Reynolds is himself and brings his infamous brand of comedy to the overall tone and flow of the movie.
Their target is the Bishop, the world's second best art thief fighting for that spot at the top brought to life by the lovely Gal Gadot. A spot she most definitely attempts to earn by staying one step ahead of her pursuers almost the whole way through. Gadot brought her game to this film as the performance is on par with that of the first Wonder Woman movie.
This film only began streaming on Netflix the weekend of writing this review so there is no audience consensus as of yet, but the audience did give the film a "92%" rating out of over "100" different submissions. The Critics, on the other hand seemed are once again out of touch with the general audiences that enjoy films these days and give Red Notice a "39%" rating out of "114" different critiques. Their "consensus" was that "Red Notice's big budget and A-list cast add up to a slickly competent action comedy whose gaudy ingredients only make the middling results more disappointing." It is still early and these scores are subject to change.
CRITICS CONSENSUS
Red Notice's big budget and A-list cast add up to a slickly competent action comedy whose gaudy ingredients only make the middling results more disappointing.
For anyone new here I give my rating here before explaining why as beyond this section spoilers will not be avoided. This film earned a 7 out of 10, where 1 is awful and 10 is Magnificent. The film was your run of the mill standard action comedy drama elevated by an all star cast. I would recommend streaming this film.
This film earned a 7 out of 10, where 1 is awful and 10 is Magnificent. The film was your run of the mill standard action comedy drama elevated by an all star cast. I would recommend streaming this film. - Doc Comeau
You were warned from here on out there will be spoilers for the film. Red Notice was a really good film. One of the best action comedies released for a long time. Like stated before its the story of international art thieves trying to out smart law enforcement as they fight for the same score. Obtaining Cleopatra's three golden eggs.
This is your typical action crime drama with a twist. The story follows Special Agent John Hartley, the Rock, and Nolan Booth, Reynolds as they chase the Bishop, Gadot, around the world in pursuit of Cleopara's three golden eggs in order to bring them to a wealthy patron who wants them for a wedding gift for his daughter. A journey plagues by the constant interference by INTERPOL.
The story starts out with Hartley escorting a team of INTERPOL agents into a museum in Rome. The museum houses the first of the three MacGuffin, I mean eggs that have already been stolen by Booth just moments before they arrives. They identify Booth and chase him around the museum until the Rock eventually catches him, but he does give them a run for their money.
Enroute to bringing Booth to justice the Bishop intercepts and steals the egg from INTERPOL custody and frames Hartley for the theft. Hartley is arrested and put in the same prison cell as Booth. The two create and understanding, escape and pursue the Bishop to enact revenge and clear Hartley's name.
The two of them follow the Bishop to the second egg, that is owned by a notorious vicious arms dealer. The enact an Ocean's Eleven type plot to steal the egg before the Bishop and carry it out during a party at the dealer's mansion. A plot once again thwarted by the Bishop that steals the egg and leaves Booth and Reynolds to deal with the arms dealer and his security.
They get ahead of the Bishop in the hunt for the third egg missing since Ceopatra's death. The location of which was a Nazi bunker Booth just happened to know existed through and Indiana Jones style Macguffin plot point. Upon receipt of the egg it is revealed that Hartley and the Bishop were partners and they played Booth the entire time. They take the egg and leave Booth in the South American Jungle.
Booth gets the last laugh, however, as he shows up on the couple's eight and reveals he has made it so their assets have been seized in order to hire them for another heist that requires all three of them to secede before transitioning into the credits. This film was not a revolutionary story or plot, but the actor really brought it to life beautifully. I would have to give this part of the film a 7 out 10. It is an average story and plot that is elevated by the actors involved.
I would have to give this part of the film a 7 out 10. It is an average story and plot that is elevated by the actors involved. - Doc Comeau
Now this is where this film shined. The performances, dialogue and improvisation shown in this film were at the top of its game. Ryan Reynolds once again elevated a project he participated in. His anger and signature brand of improving comedy is a benefit to anything film or television show he appears in. Without him this movie would be an average film. Not much to spoil here if you have seen one Reynolds character you seen them all, each with different abilities but all the same Reynolds charm and personality.
The Rock also has a unique stage personality and it paired with Reynolds perfectly. The Rock's brand of serious comedy fueled Reynolds brand of insult comedy and kept their onstage chemistry fresh and believable. If anyone else had been in this role alongside Reynolds it is in my opinion, it would not have worked so well. The due was the best choice for this film.
Gal Gadot was also a good choice to pair with these two, but the character was mostly eye candy this film and lots of actresses could have done the same. Like her Wonder Woman performance, she gets an A game. It was believable and different from her prior roles. Thought the other two definitely steals the show.
As stated above, this was the best part of this film. It would be average or worse without the paring of the Rock and Reynolds. I am excited they left it open for a sequel and would definitely watch another film in this franchise. I give this section of the film a 8 out of 10. It was above average acting and I would recommend this film to all audiences.
I am excited they left it open for a sequel and would definitely watch another film in this franchise. I give this section of the film a 8 out of 10. It was above average acting and I would recommend this film to all audiences. - Doc Comeau
This is going to be the shortest section of this review. There was not much in the Cinematography that particularly stood out or felt unique with this film. It was your average action comedy drama.
There were no particular scenes in this film that stood out to me as a look at this moment. The actors could have been performing any variety of tasks within the scenes and their banter and chemistry would take you away from what's going on in the film. The Cinematography was not bad, but it was not eye capturing. However, the fight scenes had great choreography, but that is more performance than filming.
I am forced to give this section of the film an average rating. It gets a 6 out of 10. It's slightly above the exact average as it was elevated by the casting choices, but fails to wow like a bug blockbuster. I would recommend anyone stream this film.
It gets a 6 out of 10. It's slightly above the exact average as it was elevated by the casting choices, but fails to wow like a bug blockbuster. I would recommend anyone stream this film. - Doc Comeau
As stated throughout this review, Red Notice is your run of the mill, average action comedy drama. Presentation is slightly above average base solely on the choice of leads for the flick. I would recommend streaming this film. Thanks for reading and I will see you in the next
1) IMDb.com. (2021, November 12). Red notice. IMDb. Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7991608/?ref_=tt_mv_close.
Archived At; https://archive.ph/Y8SFF
2) Red notice. Rotten Tomatoes. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_notice.
Archived At; https://archive.ph/1Fpy2
