Review of Bright (2017) by Benjamin R — 22 Dec 2017

I'm pretty sure most of the critics hating on this movie just read the description, looked at the director, assumed it would be bad, wrote their reviews and hit "post" as soon as the embargo was up. This film is enjoyable, well-made, and at the very least more serviceable than its current 29% rating might suggest.

On paper, this film's description might sound like the result of screenwriters playing cards against humanity (a gritty buddy cop drama starring [Will Smith] ....two LA PD officers stumble onto an international terrorist plot forcing them to overcome gangs, organized crime, police corruption, and their own prejudices to survive....oh, and there's also Orcs, Fairies, and Elves). If you only read the description, no one would blame you for thinking it was a joke and probably not good. But that simply isn't the case. Don't take this movie any more seriously than it takes itself, and enjoy a well-executed story that is genuinely enjoyable.

Having watched this movie without looking at reviews or knowing anything about who made it - I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tone was largely serious but had enough moments of levity that I never felt like it was taking itself too seriously -- it was serious and self-aware as it needed to be.

The moments where I struggled to play along the most were with some of the implementations of wire work and the costuming of the Elf federal agent. While the fed's costuming was consistent with the rest of the elves in that film's universe, the jarring clash of his aesthetic would pull me out of otherwise serious moments. If Nick (the Orc cop) doesn't look like the rest of the Orcs because of his job - the federal agent Elf should probably look a little more FBI and a little less Twilight.

So is it the best movie ever? No.

Is it the pile of hot garbage people might have you believe? Hell nah.

It's good -- watch it -- critics are just on the hate train for Ayer and Max Landis.