Rating: 8.0
Look, I could sit here and critique technical elements of this film all day… but I don’t wanna do that. Because this movie was just so much fun! And that’s all it needed to be, an entertaining way to spend a few hours! It didn’t set out to win best picture or get critical acclaim (but I mean the critics seem pretty happy with it), it merely exists to be a fun action adventure comedy with a great cast! And oh boy did it deliver! Now let me be clear, it is not a perfect film — but a perfect time at the movies!
Its silly and formulaic by design, but so much fun! There were so many moments that made me laugh out loud and it constantly entertained me and made me smile! The writing was funny and clever - it was way funnier than I thought it would be and even had some interesting themes and messages. The writing wasn’t perfect though, there was no character development and some cliched moments. It can also have some dumb humour, but I loved the satire of romantic films and novels! It does start off a little rocky, but once it finds its groove and niche, well it fires on all cylinders! The directors handled the tone well and allowed for some nice depth in some scenes, while also really pulling out some creative comedic moments!
It was the acting that truly made this film work for me, and the clear standouts were Brad Pitt and Oscar Nuñez in their extended cameos! They had some of the funniest scenes in the movie and absolutely stole the show. I just wish that the marketing for the film kept them (especially Pitt) a secret, but their scenes had me losing my shit nonetheless. Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock were fantastic as the leads though and I was thrilled to see how well this pairing worked! They had such great chemistry and some excellent banter/bickering scenes! I need more of them now; heck I want a sequel! They were both so great with their comedic line delivery as well as physical comedy, and it was so nice to see Tatum back in the type of role I have loved seeing him in since “21 Jump Street”! Daniel Radcliffe was also so fun as the villain, I love him in these more evil roles where he just has a good time with it!
This movie had so many fun surprises and is easily one of the best comedies I have seen in theatres in awhile! It’s a type of movie we really haven’t seen much of since “Romancing the Stone” and feels like parts were even inspired by “Indiana Jones”, which I really loved. While there are definitely issues with it, I had such a blast watching it and was so entertained by it, its truly a perfect time at the movies and was such a surprise! If you want a fun time at the movies for a date night or a night out with family or friends, here’s the perfect movie for you!
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IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
RT Audience Score: 84%
Metacritic Score: 60
CinemaScore: B+
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Paramount
Directed by Aaron Nee & Adam Nee
Screenplay by Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee & Aaron Nee
Story by Seth Gordon
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nuñez
Runtime: 1hr 52min
Rating: PG
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance
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A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.
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Fun Fact: After making a cameo in Brad Pitt's movie Bullet Train (2022), Sandra Bullock befriended Pitt and saw an opportunity for a fun casting, which led to Pitt accepting a cameo in this movie.
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