A_Different_Drummer

There is nothing new under the sun. At first glance you have what looks like a spy thriller helmed by one of the best directors on the planet and starring some of the best actors. Soderbergh has never done a bad movie. Fassbender, now starring in a US clone of a hit French spy series never meant to be be cloned, is an old film warhorse that always reaches its destination. Burke is today's answer to Michael Caine; and Brosnan, for Heavens Sake, used to play Bond. So what can go wrong? Everything. Take away the spy riff and you basically have a Victorian novel, in living color, with sound. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

On paper, this looks like a monster hit. Statham playing himself, Stallone on the production side, Ayer writing and directing. Not to mention that, with all the fuss about virtue signalling and other nonsense these days, it seems like Hollywood is afraid to make more than one of these a year, so the pent-up demand alone should put this one over the top. Yeah. Except for one problem. Passion. Nobody involved with this production seems to care about the story or the audience. In my past reviews I have underscored the importance of connection. Here there is none. Pity. Everyone, it seems, is just it for the paycheck. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

1. As a senior reviewer here, I can opine that movies have not changed much, but reviewing has. This is an excellent example of a "single event" film, very well done, yet the reviews are brutal. What's up with that?

2. The oddest scene, stands out like a sore thumb, when attempting a rescue with the mobile, the designated expert for controlling the thing declines to help, almost as if he took one weekend law course too many, forcing a less experienced operator to step in. WTF?

3. Cannot help but comment that this could have been a faith-based movie, all things considered. It simply lacks the crowd-funding and heavy messaging. Just a thought.

4. Recommended.

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))