Netflix’s newest release, “Red Notice,” directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, stars Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. The story follows art thief Nolan Booth, played by Reynolds, making his way to the top of the most wanted list with clever competition, “The Bishop,” played by Gadot, and a tag-along FBI agent, Johnson’s John Hartley.
This film was stacked with famous stars who have given fantastic performances in previous works, but this film felt completely off. Gadot is known for being the incredible hero Wonder Woman, but she switched gears and appears as the villain in “Red Notice.” Gadot did a brilliant job for the most part, but her delivery of some lines, as well as particular mannerisms, did not suit the scenes. Johnson recently gave a stellar performance in “Jungle Cruise,” and his natural chemistry with actress Emily Blunt made his relationship with Gadot in this film feel forced in comparison. This is made worse by Johnson’s lack of emotional expression in this film. There are many scenes in which the situation should cause intense anger or frustration, but Johnson does not react as intensely as his character should.
Reynolds is a hilarious actor, and when he nails his performances, it makes one’s stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Reynolds has some comedic lines throughout the film, but sometimes it feels overdone, to the point where it doesn’t fit his character’s personality. Booth is supposed to be clever and one of the best art thieves in the world, but the character’s humor makes him look idiotic at times. Some of Reynold’s lines would have been better if they were cut shorter or avoided additional humor.
Reynolds and Johnson definitely have a bro-mance going on, and the film would have been 10 times better if it focused on certain aspects of the relationship and allowed the actors to dig deeper. If Johnson showed more emotion on screen, particularly with Reynolds, the film would have benefited greatly.
The storyline is easy to follow, but it’s not anything special. For the most part, the plot is simple and bland. The scenery from different countries is stunning — maybe the best part of the entire film — but was not a major focus. There were not any noteworthy songs or auditory elements that specifically stood out.
The end is a complete surprise, and not in a good way. The plot twist doesn’t entirely make sense; there are too many holes in the story. The film made a simple story, but the end introduced little details that surprised the audience, making the rest of the film feel deceitful in ways. It is a fantastic concept, which done right can be one of the reasons an audience loves a movie, but “Red Notice” tries incredibly hard to be something it shouldn’t.
There are many unnecessary details that make the film feel all over the place. Ed Sheeran makes a great cameo in the end and even adds some humor, but everything leading up to this moment is not in clear succession.
“Red Notice” has a well-known cast that did not live up to its potential, and the film did not help the stars shine their brightest.
