cfcrecovery

So watched this right after work today and I must confess I'm utterly bamboozled as to how hell a movie with such a stacked cast stuffed with so many action sequences can be so boring??

It's obvious it's got a decent budget as the production values are there and there's a whole heap of plot ideas (mostly B rated tech thriller and tinfoil hat taking points) and mixed character motivations but somehow fails to cohere into a solid whole.

Really disappointing as I really like a lot of the cast members and none of them are phoning it in.

Trying to find another 50 chars so I'd best point out it's MGM marque but it does feel like a amazon direct to streaming effort.

So the plot is just about as thick as it needs to be to make the film a coherent whole and not an inch deeper.

The script won't be winning any awards either but its passable without any super cringe.

The movie is well casted though and the performers do what is needed even if the antagonists are little more then archtypes over real characters with a couple of exceptions.

Apparently, the book this is based on dates back to the 90s but the movie is inspired by more recent action fare and almost wares it on the sleeve taking inspiration from the likes of John Wick, Nobody, Bullet Train, layer cake, Anything by Guy Richie and luckly number sle7ven speaking of which Ben Kingsley comes pretty close to resurrecting the Rabbi.

If you like that sort of movie then you should find this fun.

The set pieces aren't over imaginative but the cast is stacked with stunt and action performers so the action is well delivered.

As clichéd as this next line is going to sound I can't help feeling that the utter absence of The Message accounts for a lot of the bad critic scores as the low critical score to me feels unjustified.

Season 2 is a big step down from Season 1.

I absolutely loved the first season, so much so that it made me go and read all the books. Unfortunately season two really slams the narrative brakes on; somehow with the same number of running hours they literally only manage to cover 1/3rd the amount of material without really expanding the depths of the characters as much as the extra focus really should.

Doesn't help that the Chris Carter Effect is hitting hard with the writing staff seemingly studied at the Jar Jar Abrams school of mystery box storytelling.

The best recommendation I can have watch season 1 and then read the books for the rest of the story.