The Stream: Drags on a bit here and there

The Big Screen: Pretty darn funny and good cast chemistry

The Final Bill: Action, twists, turns and laughs and keeps you entertained throughout

– S2S: Movie Review
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Writers: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
Production Companies: Netflix, Seven Bucks Productions, Flynn Picture Company
Platform: In select theaters November 5, 2021 and Netflix starting November 12, 2021

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, Streamers! Now, we finally got a chance to sit down and watch an unlikely trio make streaming history with Red Notice. Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson bring this Netflix flick so much star power it’s unbelievable. Red Notice is about when Interpol issues its highest warrant for an art thief, who has pilfered rare Cleopatra pieces, and the chase to capture the illusive criminal. The FBI’s top profiler, John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson), jumps into this case pursuing Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds), but they quickly become partners in this pursuit. Both try to find, and outsmart, the world’s greatest art thief “The Bishop” (Gal Gadot) in order to retrieve the rare pieces and restore their credibility. Oh, does adventure and action ensue afterward. Let’s see how it turned out.

I’ll be upfront with this review, no need to hide it – this movie was quite entertaining. Was it the perfect big screen film? No. I found Ryan Reynolds to get annoying at times and the movie felt longer than what it really was with all the twists and turns, scene changes, etc. But boy was it jammed packed with action and comedy though! Viewers will find when there isn’t action going on, they are probably chuckling and vice versa. This movie reminds me of classics like Die Hard and Die Hard with A Vengeance or even the Indiana Jones series. I think that’s saying a lot. Those movies weren’t perfect either, but you can watch them a million times and they never get old. These films are filled with star power, clever writing, action, and a quest that just keeps you on the trail to the end.

Moreover, how can you go wrong with our top 3 stars? I know Gal Gadot wasn’t that successful with WW84 but that was more the writers and DC Comics’ fault than her. She’s elegant and fierce at the same time and it shows on the screen. Dwayne Johnson continues to prove he has a certain range, but he’s very good at what he does. Yes, he’s a bit stiff and would probably stand out in a crowd, if this were real life situations, but on the screen he’s a great main guy. Ryan Reynolds just does what he does. Like I said, he gets a bit annoying vocally but, ultimately, his quips and tirades are funny. I can’t tell if it’s the writing or his ad libs that make him funny but it works. All of them together have a lot of chemistry and I bet it was a fun set to be on. While I like the Kevin Hart/Rock combo a bit more, I definitely wouldn’t be mad at another Rock/Deadpool movie – especially since this movie sets us up for a sequel. I’d definitely watch. I feel like this movie could lead to a series that is an Ocean’s Eleven type feel but maybe like an MCU.

Anyway, Red Notice is the perfect Saturday/Sunday “I’m bored” just throw something on film, or the “I need something on in the background” film. That might sound like a slight, but I think viewers will find themselves watching this over and over again should this play on FX, USA, TNT, TBS or etc. The film is funny, full of action, a plot that’s just confusing enough to keep you guessing. For that, this movie definitely gets a big box of popcorn whether in the theaters or on Netflix.