The Painter

Right before seeing this I watched another 2024 action movie: 60 Minutes. There was practically no plotting on that one, but for a realistic feel and some decent action I gave it a 5 on another website. I was a bit surprised by the negative reviews of this movie here on Imdb, so I'm gonna write one that's not so upfront and insulting, you know, one that's more informative.

OK, so I'll point out that I thought the protagonist's essential super hearing was a bit creative. Other than that, I'm not really seeing anything here that hasn't been done before. Even though the writer certainly tried to bring some depth to all the characters (and thankfully the plot relies on this), the actual plot progression has been done many times before. Lather, rinse, repeat. Even the relationships between characters could be seen in the next Spy Kids movie.

We've gotten quite a few action movies that follow a basic formula this year, but this movie is more of a knockoff of many other knockoffs than others. Having said that, the filmmaking itself is never really terrible or even "bad" for that matter, but the acting quality varies and the plot can often be guessed.

I think this might be the first time I could be bothered to write a review but...did it pass the time and I kind of followed what was happening? Yes. Was it enjoyable? No. This is what I imagine AI would spit out, direct and costume design (the set design and even cinematography were not bad tbf). There was nothing original in this film plot, but it wasn't satire or parody or even ironic, and it was INCREDIBLY moronic (at one point a computer virus in a flash drive goes up....in flames....). It was awful, but not so disruptively bad for the evening which I gave away to other tasks that I turned it off (there are your 2 stars), but somehow annoying and predictable enough to also be distracting -- and to make me write this review. Don't watch it. It's not bewildering, it's just bad.

I am not even finished watching the movie and had to write a review (which is not common at all for me). I wasn't expecting a great movie so am fine with the predictable plot and not great fight scenes. I love to watch Hallmark movies so am good with predictability! The one reason I may not finish watching it is because of the horrible acting by Marie Avgeropoulos. I can't imagine that anyone could do a worse job than her. Well maybe the other lady agent... Maria A. Completely ruins the movie. So, know that it is a fine movie - nothing special but okay except you will want to rip your eyes out when she is on screen!

I was hoping this was one of those movies where the trailer was the only good part of the movie - but alas, that was not the case with this one.

This theme has been done a million times and it's overdone; they couldn't even hold our interest for the whole movie.

Sooooo many things don't make sense in this film - you don't even have to be that familiar with law enforcement to know what they're trying to do is ridic and would never actually take place.

Casting of the 'Bureau Chief' in particular was so horrifically bad in all ways, we couldn't stop laughing (so there WAS a bright spot, I guess). And even Voight, who has made some amazing movies was robotic and boring; takes a special kind of BAD to ruin a movie that should be fairly simple to make these days.

"The Painter's" resembles a TV show canceled after its pilot, as it struggles with a weak plot and underdeveloped characters. Just as such shows may struggle to resonate with viewers, the film leans heavily on the prowess of its three main actors (father,daughter,grandfather) to compensate for narrative shortcomings. Unfortunately, even their stellar performances can't fully redeem the lack of substance in the storyline. The film, like an unsuccessful pilot, leaves audiences yearning for a more engaging and well-rounded cinematic experience."

Verdict: "The Painter's" falls short, earning a less-than-enthusiastic assessment. Its weak storyline and underdeveloped characters make it less appealing than even a depressing wall staring competition, leaving viewers with a lackluster cinematic experience.