Netflix ‘Red Notice’ Review: Ryan Reynolds Steals The Show In This Thoroughly Entertaining Heist Comedy
I love a good action comedy that even if it isn’t doing anything particularly new with its material, at least shows you a good time and does not require you to “unplug brain from system and then watch”. Naturally, Sooryavanshi was that for many people, but for me, relief came in just the last 20 minutes of the film, when Ranveer Singh joined in and brought the fun. However, when it came to international waters though, I was much more satisfied and thoroughly entertained by the OG Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds, with his shenanigans and his banter-ful bromance with Dwayne Johnson in Red Notice, also starring Gal Gadot. The Netflix film is a heist movie, but with a smidge of Indiana Jones-style adventure, and has the quips of your favourite buddy-cop movie as well. It is written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, in his third collaboration with Johnson, who is also a producer.
As per the film’s official synopsis, “When an Interpol-issued Red Notice — the highest level warrant to hunt and capture the world’s most wanted— goes out, the FBI’s top profiler John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) is on the case. His global pursuit finds him smack dab in the middle of a daring heist where he’s forced to partner with the world’s greatest art thief Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) in order to catch the world’s most wanted art thief, “The Bishop” (Gal Gadot). The high-flying adventure that ensues takes the trio around the world, across the dance floor, trapped in a secluded prison, into the jungle and, worst of all for them, constantly into each other’s company. Red Notice is a stylish globe-trotting game of cat-and-mouse (and cat).”
Look here, HUGE Ryan Reynolds fan. That guy could be reading out the Yellow Pages and I’d listen to him because I know he’d find a way to make me laugh. His humour is exactly my brand of humour, I love his ‘Inception’ of Aviation Gin in everything he does. And much like the Khans of Bollywood, Reynolds doesn’t really have to ‘play’ most of his characters. Like, Nolan Booth, one of the best art thieves in the world, in Red Notice. The way it’s written, it’s practically screaming for Ryan Reynolds to just be Ryan Reynolds and it’s done.
Speaking of Khan-level stardom, the film has Dwayne Johnson. The Rock. Easily one of the biggest movie stars who, again, like the Khans and Reynolds, has his larger-than-life persona do much of the heavy-lifting for him. It doesn’t always work its charm (like in Jungle Cruise). But in Red Notice, where he plays FBI BAU profiler, John Hartley, on the trail of Reynolds’ Booth, it works seamlessly. What’s more, the reluctant team-up and banter between Ryan’s wisecracking Booth and the genuine FBI cop Hartley who just wants to catch the bad guys, make for some of the most entertaining moments of the film.
As for Gal Gadot, she plays The Bishop, cleverer than both these boys, and definitely channelling all that oomph into making her character convincing, even if it remains the weakest link of the film with not much to do.
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Red Notice is an out-and-out entertainer because it has everything: Gorgeous looking people carrying out heists in style, action that looks great and even makes you laugh, lost treasure, lots of crossing and double-crossing, and witty repartee galore from characters trying to one-up each other. The pacing dawdles in some places, particularly towards the end, but as long as Ryan Reynolds is leading the charge with his humour here, you’re relaxed and really enjoying yourself, without feeling the passage of time. It also helps that the plot takes the characters, and therefore us, to several exotic locations, and gorgeous views, with oodles of riches on display. I mean, what’s not to love about that, no?
Apart from, and I know you might tire from my saying this but, Ryan Reynolds, I thoroughly enjoyed the action sequences, particularly the one where the trio are together in the lair of a Spanish arms dealer, looking sexy as hell in their respective black-tie evening wear and trying to score a win. Also hilarious was the entire prison sequence, particularly this last-minute manoeuvre from Reynolds’ Booth, followed by another from Dwayne Johnson’s Hartley. Having watched both Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson talk about filming this one dance sequence between the two, and Gal calling The Rock a ballerina (LOL!), I think the sequence is rather endearing too.
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My one major complaint though is about how the Interpol cop (played by Ritu Arya) always ends up looking a little foolish and unprepared, and also, like a typical Bollywood movie, show up just when you need them to and not a second before or after. If the thieves are smart, wouldn’t it be a better challenge to make the cops smarter too?
Verdict: Red Notice is so much fun, after a long time!
For some reason, and it could be because of the way the film opens in a museum setting, Red Notice reminded me so much of Dhoom 2! Even the chemistry between Booth and Hartley, is a lot like Ali and Jai from the movie, with Reynolds pretty much stealing everything and everyone’s thunder as he infuses whatever he does, even the action, with some very on-brand humour.
As I mentioned before, the film doesn’t set out to do anything different. It wants to give you an out-and-out stylish action-comedy, and it does that satisfactorily with its marquee names, quintessential background score, familiar plot devices and entertaining action sequences. If you haven’t guessed it yet, it has franchise potential too, which is good news for Netflix, because it’s just the kind of break it’s been waiting for. I mean, I enjoyed Michael Bay’s 6 Underground, also starring Ryan Reynolds too. But hey, Red Notice might just have a wider appeal.
I do wish it had also had a theatrical release in India for a few weeks before it dropped on Netflix. Because I’d totally like to have picked it over some other…erm… questionable movies I took my family to watch on Diwali.
Red Notice is currently streaming on Netflix.
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