I’m disappointed to say that ‘quite forgettable’ is the most fitting phrase for how I feel about Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds’s latest action/crime/comedy, Red Notice.

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, I had a telling ‘bad feeling’ within the first few minutes of the movie starting. The kind of feeling that let me know that Red Notice won’t be as fun and engaging as I’d hoped.

I was soon proven right when the question ‘Why am I bored?’ crossed my mind during the scenes before the forty-minute mark. The answer is, the lacking script/story edit, a Johnson/Reynolds dynamic that didn’t work for me right away, a performance by Gadot that fell surprisingly flat, and the fact that very little if anything about Red Notice played as adequately new and exciting. 

I was finally fully engaged and glued to the action taking place at around the fortieth minute. I wish I could say it was all good from that point on, but even though there were some clever/fun moments, overall, what Thurber’s film did most well for me is not what I expected. 

As well as setting up a sequel that might be more fun, Red Notice brought to mind Daniel Craig’s best Bond films. No doubt because Craig’s films excelled in areas that Red Notice did not. Especially where great pacing, highly engaging dialogue, well-drawn characters and exciting action sequences are concerned. 

I needed Red Notice to be better. But I wouldn’t call it completely unwatchable. Give it a chance if you’re particularly curious. 

Happy Film Loving,

G