The Critics Aren't That "Bright" After All

Bright (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Edgar Ramirez, Lucy Fry

Directed by David Ayer

The Story:

In a world where humans live side by side with the creatures of fairytale legend, Daryl (Smith) is an LAPD cop who is saddled with the first Orc recruit, Nick (Edgerton). When the pair stumble upon Leilah (Rapace) and her magic wand, they must put their differences aside once and for all if they hope to survive the night and all of the different groups that are coming for them to get that wand.

I'm not sure if the critics want to savage this movie because they don't like the inroads that Netflix is making by releasing movies directly onto Netflix and bypassing the movie theater with their Netflix Original movies, but this was hardly the worst movie of 2017, or any year for that matter.

It's Netflix's first true "big budget blockbuster" or "popcorn movie". Is it a great movie?

No, I don't think anyone will put it into that movie.

Is it totally watchable?

Absolutely.

It checks off all the marks for a big budget buddy cop action flick. The two cops that don't get along, but then get along just fine when the chips are down and they realize they only have themselves to rely on if they are going to survive.

It also serves an underlying message on racism in America, without trying to get too preachy and letting the action carry the movie.

I've read that many critics felt that the storyline was too confusing and people couldn't follow along with all of the backstory.

What?

I'm pretty sure that those opening billboards that show that this is a world where we coexist with the Lord of the Rings was pretty straightforward, if you ask me.

Guesstimates put those of us that watched Bright during the opening weekend at 11 million Netflix users. As there are no box office receipts to gauge whether this was a success or a mega flop, I'll do the math:

11 million times $ 8.00 a ticket (averaging a matinee and a full ticket price) puts the weekend box office for this film at $88,000,000.

Yeah, that pretty much justifies any price Netflix spent on the film, and shows why they already said yes to a sequel.

Trust me, I've seen a bad Will Smith movie (After Earth).

This isn't even close.

Final Grade: C+

Truth Is More Boring Than Fiction..."Black Mass"

Black Mass (2015)

Rated R

Starring Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Adam Scott,

Directed by Scott Cooper

The Story:

Based on the true story of James "Whitey" Bulger (Depp), this drama attempts to show how devious he was by ensnaring FBI Agent John Connolly (Edgerton) into making him an informant for the FBI which then gave him carte blanche to do as he pleased in the criminal underworld of Boston. Meanwhile his brother Billy (Cumberbatch) was a respected politician that helped his brother enough, but not to the point of being in the same spotlight with him.

Here you have a 2 hour drama that felt like 12 hours of your life slipped by.

Excruciatingly dull, this is a mafia drama with really, very little drama.

All we see are members of Bulger's gang confessing to this that or the other via flashbacks.

It turns out that Bulger's informant status may very have been completely fabricated by John Connolly. Bulger never ratted on anyone, a fact he holds very strongly too today. Connolly simply used testimony from other snitches to create Bulger's file.

The cast itself is a remarkable assemblage of talent. The sad part is, they are given very little to do.

Cumberbatch seems wasted in what is essentially a glorified cameo. That part could have been given to just about anyone and carried the same gravitas to the role.

Kevin Bacon seems to give the most passionate performance, too bad his screen time is likely 5 minutes or less.

I may have mocked Depp in the past for only playing the same character (Captain Jack) for the last 15 years or so, but when given a role like this...

Perhaps Captain Jack is him actually acting and doing a pretty good job, because he is stale, wooden and rather boring in this role. Of course, I have to go all the way back to Edward Scissorhands to find a Johnny Depp role I did like, so take it with a grain of salt.

:)

There is little passion, energy or excitement throughout the movie. There doesn't feel like escalating tension that Bulger is just getting away with things or people are becoming suspicious that Connolly may be helping Bulger out.

I'll give this one a "D" for disappointment.

Final Grade: D+

Rewriting History..."Exodus: Gods and Kings"

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Aaron Paul

Directed by Ridley Scott

The Story:

This is the story of Moses (Bale) who was raised as a brother with Ramses (Edgerton) to rule Egypt. Soon Moses discovers that he's actually Jewish and is reluctantly thrust into the role of leader and savior in an attempt to free them from bondage.

Well, it was better than Noah!

I think the problem with adapting stories from the Bible is the fear of upsetting anyone.

If it's too religious, people that hate religion won't come see your movie.

If it's too unfaithful, the religious faithful will criticize your movie and call it awful.

Trying to straddle the line and make it appease everyone though simply makes an average film.

That's what we have here.

It looks great, and has all the spectacle that you expect from Ridley Scott, but it skips over the heart of the story.

Moses doesn't speak with God, he argues with a visage of a child.

His brother Aaron, a mere afterthought in the whole tale.

The plagues brought against Egypt, they look amazing.

But they lack the punch of why they are happening.

They simply start happening, one after the other, and Moses takes credit about halfway through that it will only get worse.

: /

To his credit, Scott does capture the torment and heartbreak of a nation that awakens to find the final plague unleashed and it truly feels miserable.

I don't know, it just seems if Scott had been more insistent on connecting the dots in his story, there would have been more oomph to it.

But like I said, you can't please everyone, every time.

And Ridley Scott has made enough good movies already, he gets by with average sometimes.

Final Grade: C

The 200th Review: "The Odd Life of Timothy Green"

 

 

 

 

This sort of thing doesn't happen every day...

The Story:

Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim (Joel Edgerton) Green are a married couple who have been hoping to have a baby, but are told that it is impossible.  Devastated, they write down a list of qualities that they wish their baby would have had, bury it in a box in the backyard, and go to bed.  Funny enough, a rain that lands only on their property, waters that box, and out sprouts a little boy named Timothy (CJ Adams), the only boy name the couple ever picked.  Timothy has an unusual feature:  leaves on his legs.  But they cover those with socks, and the parents and Timothy bond and become a family, with all of its ups and downs.  Then the leaves start to turn color and fall off...

This is a fantasy film from Disney, pure and simple. 

But there is a heart to the film that shines through the fantasy.

For all of those that have ever lost a child or been unable to have that baby they so desperately wanted, this film will shine as an example of why so many couples want to adopt, and the struggles that come for those of any parenting skills as there is nothing scarier, and more fun, than raising a kid.

It's fun to watch the wishes that they had for their child come back to haunt them all in some very amusing ways.

Be careful what you wish for your kids, you might get it! : )

Overall, a sweet little movie that the whole family can enjoy.

Final Grade: B-

Would I Own It: Not sure I would actively seek to own this, but one that was good enough that I could watch again in the future.