Vic Vader

This is not Star Wars that I remember & loved starting back in 1977. I’d give it 1/2 star at best.

For those who have been following the Marvel Movieverse - starting with Iron Man in 2008 & spanning 22 films - this is like a beautiful tapestry that weaves in the past, the present & sets a new stage for the future... the only thing uncertain is if this future can ever match the same heights... what journey it has been..

Is Hollywood so devoid of ideas & joy that they have to take a wholesome traditional icon & thrash it? Poor Santa. I guess he is easy to pick on as he can’t defend himself. Joyless, pitiful & clearly made to seek attention than good moviemaking. 0 stars for such a wicked attempt to steal Christmas. (But have to put “1” to post). Avoid this tragic negativity & focus on the joy & goodwill that is Christmas.. Life is too short… ho, ho, ho…

Cliched, predictable, light hearted & a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously. Perfect streaming fare for a lazy Sunday afternoon as a fun watch without needing to think too much. Ryan’s screen persona in always the same cliched wise-cracking anti-hero, Rock is.. Rock & Gadot is.. Gadot. No one really stretched their dramatic chops for this one. Throw in every thing you’ve seen from spy, heist, Indiana Jones movies & you get Red Notice. But I enjoyed it as mindless fun. The Rock & Ryan’s onscreen goofy personas can’t go too wrong even though I’ve seen it in so many of their other movies. But if you are looking for a cinematic masterpiece, this ain’t it.

This is solid sci-fi; not the increasingly ludicrous space drama that is Star Wars. The storytelling was rich & we found the whole 2+ hours totally engrossing. Special effects was well woven to tell a story rather than the loud, in-your-face CGI fests that are the Marvel fares nowadays. Even the fight scenes were gritty without being OTT. If I were to nitpick, the pacing was a bit slow & the ending could be a bit abrupt for non-fans of the novel who will not get inflection point where Paul Atreides ends & Muad’Dib begins. Only regret was the pandemic didn’t give me the chance to watch it on IMAX. Can’t wait for part 2.