Better than Expected
Summary
Red Notice is derivative fun with Reynolds and Johnson making for an appealing duo and Gal Gadot looking perfect while also enjoying herself as a villain. There is some slick camerawork and enjoyable set-pieces making this for an entertaining (if ultimately forgettable) watch.
Plot: An Interpol agent tracks the world’s most wanted art thief.
Review: From the trailer you get a pretty good idea what to expect from Red Notice with Ryan Reynolds being his usual wise-cracking self, Dwayne Johnson the straight shooter who kicks ass and Gal Gadot playing a villain while of course being utterly stunning.
Red Notice may be a formulaic as they come but sometimes that’s not so bad as it really was a lot of fun with Reynolds spouting frequently hilarious one-liners and he has great chemistry with Dwayne Johnson.
This is a throwback to the entertaining old school action buddy comedies of the 80’s with a bit of Indiana Jones thrown in as well as regular pop culture references.
It grabbed me from the start due to some spectacular camera work in the opening shot as we zoom into John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) arriving in Rome to arrest one of the most wanted art thieves in the world, Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) while he tries to steal a priceless egg. Things don’t go to plan and Booth escapes but not for long. Without spoiling any more of the plot the pair end up being forced to work together and hunt for the remaining eggs with Gadot’s super thief in hot pursuit.
It’s the kind of tale you can predict what’s going to happen a few scenes before they do but there are a few twists to keep you on your toes. Red Notice has only one goal and that is to entertain and that’s exactly what it does. It’s not a classic and I probably won’t even remember it by Monday morning but for the hour and 50 minutes it’s a fun ride.
Steve Jablonsky provides the score and it even has a theme tune which is rare in this day and age; it’s one of my favourite aspects of the film and really adds to the sense of adventure.
I love globe trotting movies with exotic locations and Red Notice has plenty; there is more obvious greenscreen than I’d like but the visuals are mostly glossy and slick.
Action legend Daniel Bernhardt shows up in the prison scene and beats up Dwayne Johnsons which isn’t something too many people can say they’ve done.
Overall, Red Notice doesn’t exactly reinvent the genre but it’s full of laughs and our three leads are awesome so if we get a sequel (and I’m sure we will) then I’ll be down to check out more hijinks with this crew. All of a sudden I want some Aviation Gin…