Review of Bright (2017) by Fionn C — 01 Jan 2018

I loved Bright and would absolutely recommend it. It established an interesting universe and engaging, likeable characters via well-polished storytelling.

There was often nothing that could help to "rescue" a bad bit of writing, acting, or action sequences (no high budget cgi, no over-the-top soundtrack, no excessive filters or editing). But you know what? It didn't need it. It didn't need any help. Every aspect of this movie was great on its own merits.

Every writing in particular was fantastic. It was the epitome of "show, don't tell", and set up an impressive Shadowrun-esque universe without talking down to the audience (or falling into the "as you all know" trope). Everything the characters said or did made sense, and didn't feel forced. Several hints peppered throughout had great payoffs without being overly obvious.

While the material certainly seems silly and cheesy, it really didn't feel that way. It poked a few jokes at its own expense, but they never broke my disbelief of the setting with any inconsistencies. They were very thorough in their setup.

To sum up, this was a great movie. I loved it, I'd recommend it, and I'll definitely be rewatching it.