by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
Black Adam, Wonder Woman, and Deadpool in a film together? That’s right! Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot star in Red Notice, one of the hottest films to be released lately, written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. This is the third time Thurber and Johnson have worked together as a pair as they previously worked together on Central Intelligence and Skyscraper. The duo brings a lot of ambition and fun to their projects. Red Notice is just an ordinary film to turn off the audience’s brain, and it’s a shame there is not anything unique about it.
In the heist, action-comedy Nolan Booth (Reynolds) is a prestigious art thief who teams up with John Hartley (Johnson), an FBI agent, to catch one of the most renowned criminals in The Bishop/Sarah Black (Gadot), who is searching for the lost eggs of Cleopatra. It’s hard not to love these actors thanks to their tremendous success with previous projects.
Thurber’s slick film is what audiences might expect: the same rehashed material and clichés they’ve have seen before. There is no doubt the star power sells the film. Johnson and Reynolds have great chemistry with swag and charm that audiences are going to enjoy through all their comedic moments. However, audiences can expect nothing new for the actors, who do not explore their talents to new levels. Gadot’s look is flawless and appears stunning in every scene. However, she seemed to be miscast, and towards the end of the film, her character becomes useless, as nothing she adds to the story makes her stand out. Her talent was wasted and didn’t fit for end results.
Thurber has become a big action director and took on this original story. He is heavily inspired by some of the greatest action and heist films, including Indiana Jones and Oceans 11, but fails to make this film his own. He worried about creating new twists and turns halfway through the film, so much so that it became so absurd audiences will know and expect the silliness.
The comedy itself is uninspiring. One example is the film making jokes about pop culture or about apps like Instagram. Thurber could have added more personality when it came to the humor and added more depth to the story.
The action sequences are solid and well-choreographed in the first act but eventually, they become loosely tied together and aren’t as memorable along with the story. It isn’t a boring film — it’s more a disappointing turnout. This film could have been a box office success if it had a full theatrical run in theaters.
Red Notice is a fast-paced, action film jam-packed with stars and more. It’s a shame it does not quite stick to the landing of what Thurber wanted.
Grade: C-
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