credit: Red Notice
Out of the many action movies that have come along in the past several years, Red Notice would have been one of the last ones that people might have believed would be seen as, well, kind of lacking. Don’t get me wrong, the movie was action-packed and had enough one-liners to satisfy a lot of people, but in terms of being an intelligent and well-developed movie, it felt more like an 80s action flick that didn’t require the audience to have functional brainstems to watch. In other words, it was all action and very little substance, which is what a lot of people tend to like when it comes to action movies. There’s nothing wrong with this, as it’s fun to shut the old think-tank off every now and then and just enjoy something that requires only the most basic functions to enjoy. For those that can’t bring themselves to allow this to happen, however, it stands out as a movie that’s all about showing people what can be done with three great movie stars and a script that was about as basic as it comes, at least for this era. The reason that it’s disappointing is that the three main actors in the movie have proven that they can do so much more. And now, there are two sequels on the way apparently.
credit: Red Notice
Somehow the trio of Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds works.
It is a little surprising simply because it feels like an odd group to work with, but there’s no denying that the dynamic between the three actors is interesting to watch. Still, the idea that it can last for two more movies makes one wonder if it’s going to grow stale or even more predictable than it was in the first movie. Sadly, the script in the first movie wasn’t too hard to follow, and it didn’t come off as nearly as intelligent as the other movies that these three have done on their own. When something like Deadpool or Wonder Woman can come off as more complicated and even more in-depth than this movie, then it begs the question of what the writers were thinking about when it came to forming this script. Bashing the work of other writers isn’t a hobby or a desired habit, but there are times when one has to wonder how often people are allowed to create scripts that wouldn’t challenge a grade school student. When it comes to the actors, their star power alone was bound to push this movie, but when it came to the dialogue and script, well, thank goodness they all know how to be funny in one way or another.
At some point, this storyline feels as though it feels like one overly long episode after another.
One problem that continually plagues movies such as this is sequels that don’t appear to have an end to them. Once the first movie is out and is allowed to age for a bit, it does feel as though people start to come around and admit that, yes, it was a fun movie, even if it was essentially brainless. But the quest for the almighty dollar, and that’s what this is despite what anyone else wants to say, tends to destroy a story worse than a writer ever could. After a while, the story begins to degrade as the writer, or writers, find that certain jokes don’t hit so well after the third or fourth telling, and various ideas don’t create the same shock and awe that they did when they were seen in the initial movie. Granted, there are always people who will be turned onto the movie thanks to the sequel, and there will be those who are loyal to the idea since they enjoyed the first movie or like the actors. But after following the same characters for more than one or two movies, many stories take on an episodic feel that can and sometimes does relegate them to little more than overly long episodes in a continuing storyline, thereby making them a type of long-form TV show.
credit: Red Notice
Planning for more than one sequel at a time feels like a recipe for failure or an anxiety attack for the writer.
Given how much money it cost to create the first movie and how much was wasted on goofing off and ruined takes, it feels that each sequel might have a tighter rein applied to it in terms of what’s allowed and what’s not. But that alone can make a movie a little worse due to the idea of the push and pull that might occur. One could state that all three stars are bound to make it work since their names alone are what help to drive the first movie forward. But thinking that this will work for two sequels is ambitious, even for this trio, and trying to plan out multiple sequels doesn’t sound like the best idea in the world, as even Avatar appears a little too ambitious, and a lot of people might want to negate the idea that James Cameron doesn’t know what he’s doing. Red Notice isn’t even close to being on the same level as Avatar, so perhaps planning more than one sequel isn’t the best idea. It’s a thought, at least.
Action sequels don’t have the best track record, no matter the box office numbers.
I’m just waiting for someone to bring up the Fast and Furious franchise since if Red Notice wants to get as ridiculous as the storylines that have been pushing the Fast and Furious movies, then so be it. But all in all, action sequels are rarely ever bound to top or even equal the first movie since the challenge is to create something new and innovative, and unfortunately, sequels rarely do this.