Red Notice

A trouble-free film, which was surprising to me. Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds are an unexpectedly great comedy duo, and although neither of them almost ever leave their comfort zones, I didn't mind at all because they are convincingly amusing and not awkward. And Gal Gadot keeps up with them and is more than just a useless pretty face. Red Notice masks the simplicity of the plot with a variety of situations that all three find themselves in, as well as the fact that the film makes fun of itself. For example, when one scene starts to resemble something like Indiana Jones, you can be sure that in a while someone starts whistling the fanfare of John Williams, and the action scene that confirms the affection for Indy lurks around the corner. I liked that the script wasn’t forced, that it didn't need jokes at all costs, that it was imaginative, and although it quotes or recalls all sorts of stuff (the scaffolding scene belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.), it doesn't steal them, and it is, or tries to be as original as possible. I wanted to be this satisfied with Army of Thieves, for example. (11/14/2021)

The trailers didn’t entice me at all; I was quite worried about what this project would turn out to be. Unfortunately, my gloomy expectations were fully met! I really don’t understand how anyone can compare this to Indiana Jones in terms of quality. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber has only one similarly genre-oriented film under his belt (Skyscraper), and that one turned out quite poorly as well. The star names in Red Notice look great on paper, but in reality, the chemistry between The Rock and Reynolds just doesn’t work; for every good joke, there are three pretty terrible ones (who on earth wrote those dialogues?!). And Gal Gadot seemed at times like she was not enjoying herself (just look at her overacting). The action can be summed up as "digital chaos." Whether it’s the escape from the Russian prison or the moment with the bull (that was really glaring). The story is one big cliché (which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t clear that the creators didn’t make much of an effort). It will have viewership; those names will attract the masses, but Red Notice didn’t convince me. 4/10 (11/13/2021)

A TV B-movie with A-movie actors, a promising theme, a weak screenplay and the oh-so-mediocre Rawson Marshall Thurber in the director’s chair. Red Notice could be great a modern take on Indy (they even have Swastikas) and the search for Cleopatra’s golden eggs, if it weren’t for lots of nonsense and ridiculous (even if unexpected) twists. The Rock, Gadot and Ryan Reynold all act how they always act and if this had had more inventive (better filmed) action and if it hadn’t been filmed in a studio, it could have been a wonderful guilty pleasure, but this way it is only just an entertaining snack. P.S.: Not even Jablonsky was trying... (11/17/2021)

Reynolds is playing Reynolds as usual, The Rock is playing The Rock as usual, and Gadot isn’t acting at all (as usual). A fun and snappy, but pitifully unimaginative film (the budget paid for the central three actors, and there was clearly no money left for special effects, so it looks like a run-of-the-mill B-movie). In three days, I will have no memory of seeing the film. It will do as a way to pass a Saturday night. The lower your expectations, the more you'll enjoy it. (11/13/2021)

Red Notice didn't entice me due to the likeable cast, with the Gadot-Johnson-Reynolds trio proving themselves in their roles. Plot-wise, it is basically a rehash of older films and aside from a minor plot twist, which was predictable from a certain point on, it doesn't have much to surprise. Some scenes feel too forced – lately filmmakers feel the need to put unnecessary artificial animals in their films – and you could talk at length about how Red Notice disregards the laws of physics, but whatever, a film like this should be taken with a grain of salt. The film could have easily been a quarter of an hour shorter, but it still managed to keep me interested, tense and even entertained at times (thanks mainly to Reynolds). (01/14/2022)