It’s true that this new action crime film from Netflix doesn’t reinvent the wheel. While Red Notice isn’t the most impressive or unique of its genre, it still proves to be a satisfying and fun watch. The action sequences and fight scenes are well orchestrated, the performances are well executed, and there’s a nice twist that I didn’t see coming. Along with the action is comedy from Reynolds, he really gets to flex his comedic muscle here. I think most of the reviews on this have been too harsh. As long as you don’t go into this expecting a perfect ten, I think you’ll have a pretty good time.
The casting here is well done. Ryan Reynolds plays a wise cracking art thief and he’s practically made for this role. You can’t help but love him here. Dwayne Johnson plays a dedicated FBI agent who is framed and ends up having to work with Reynolds to catch the number one art thief in the world, Gal Gadot.
Johnson does well with these types of roles. He’s very convincing and he and Reynolds work well together in a good cop/bad cop situation. Gadot does very well with her role, too. She’s the perfect type of actress to play an alluring thief with secrets up her sleeve.
Having a talented amusing cast is a must with a fun crime action film such as Red Notice. The action sequences are pretty well orchestrated too, complete with some impressive stunts. The best action sequence takes place at the end with an exciting South American car chase. I also really liked the destinations, especially the snowy Russian prison. You just have to have scenic locations to match the mood with this kind of high octane film.
Red Notice has some nice comedy sprinkled in. Almost 100% of it falls in Reynolds’s lap and he delivers it with that slick sarcastic charm of his. What I liked most about this script though is the plot twist towards the end that caught me by surprise. As the film progressed, I did wonder if there would be any kind of a twist but I didn’t expect the one they served up. I found the twist to be a lot of fun and it actually paves the way for a sequel that I’d like to see.
Another positive is the direction by Rawson Marshall Thurber. The majority of the scenes have a nice polished look to them and all the action is well captured. One thing I can’t stand is poorly filmed action scenes.
The main drawback with Red Notice is that on several occasions it attempts to be sentimental and pull at heartstrings. These attempts are not successful and clash with the film’s overall tone, which is light hearted and fun. Luckily, there’s only a couple scenes that focus on that.
I do think they should have had one or two more looks over this just to punch it up a bit because there’s a lot of good here and with some little changes I think it could have been better. If Red Notice is available in a theater near you, I’d suggest just watching at home on Netflix. This serves as a decent showing from the comfort of your own home. I do hope we get a sequel that builds upon this one and works out some of the minor kinks.
Red Notice isn’t the best of its kind but it will do if you’re looking for a decent action crime film with a twist.
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