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Some of the most successful television and movie releases in the past decade have come from streaming services and their own in-house production. For example: Stranger Things (Netflix), The Crown (Netflix), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), and The Irishman (Netflix) all saw huge success after their launches, despite being original content to their respective streaming services.
However, the rise of streaming and the intense competition between the services has called for a new type of exclusivity. Now, services will partner with a studio (or is already shared by a studio) to gain exclusive streaming rights to a film. For example, the latest installation in the Halloween franchise did this with Peacock. So, when Netflix announced a new heist movie with a star-studded cast, people were ecstatic. Unfortunately, a lot were left disappointed.
Red Notice released on Netflix on November 12 and was in theaters November 5. The film seemed like it would be an instant hit with its exciting plot and incredible cast. Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot starred in the film, each playing a different role in a multi-million-dollar heist.
Ryan Reynolds plays a witty, but talented thief. Dwayne Johnson plays his regular role of a hardened man with a knack for winning. *Oh, hello Fast and Furious franchise* And Gal Gadot plays Reynold’s rival as a competing art thief.
Ryan Reynolds is known for his fast-talking, sarcastic comedic style, and that part of his performance was spot on. His character is one of the most wanted art thieves in the world and is working toward a huge prize, Cleopatra’s three golden eggs. The film starts with him attempting to steal one from a museum. He ends up in an intense chase with an FBI agent, played by Dwayne Johnson. The two spend the majority of the film playing the “we’re friends / no we’re not” game while trying to beat Gal Gadot.
The first hour and a half of the movie, in my opinion, was alright. The characters were somewhat interesting, and Reynolds has a particular charm that kept me watching, but the last half hour was a true disappointment. After all this excitement and growth, it seems like the story arc just did a complete downward spiral. Nothing felt resolved, relationships felt disingenuous, and the whole thing was wildly underwhelming.
I’m so disappointed, as I expected to really like this, but it ultimately fell quite flat. After the movie ended, I was so shocked I googled the movie and I found that I’m not alone in my thoughts. Red Notice is currently sitting at 35% on Rotten Tomatoes and headlines aren’t looking good.
Overall, this movie wasn’t terrible. I wouldn’t even call it bad. However, I’m shocked at the disappointing ending that seemed unfinished. If you’re going to watch this one, I’d be prepared for the lack of closure.
Red Notice is available in theaters and is available to stream on Netflix.
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