The Duel

At first I was hesitant to give this movie the time of day given the poor score. Now, I am glad I did, and what a time well spent! The story is built on a simple idea that unwound masterfully from beginning to end. There is no over-the-top action scene, no flashy CGIs, no pretentious idealistic message, or downright propaganda that plagues Hollywood today. It offer fun entertainment and that is IT! Kudos to the surprisingly talented and underrated actors here. Their characters were all charmingly unique that I was easily invested in what their outcome would be. And, the awsome musical score is the juicy cherry on top. At any rate, don't take my word for it. Watch and decide for yourself.

This is a comedy basically making fun of toxic masculinity culture and buddies too invested in the idea of being men to remember they are buddies or able to ever just walk away or talk about it.

While there is some interest, I presume the many 9 and 10 reviews were posted by the makers? There really is no action till the end (when the duel finally comes round). The story is built on a premise of being interesting because an old world duel is happening once again in the modern vibe. Trouble is they literally committed to the idea that its this entirely awesome idea, and nobody would ever wonder why? I think the audience might have done better if one or both of the characters WERENT unquestionably locked in this weird illegal unbelievable idea that this is how they should settle this here in modern times? OIf they had shown one of them trying to escape, or both trying to escape, or their friends being the sadistic driving forces or some sort of side twist the audience could see as a reasonable reason maybe? But it just never really felt normal?

Still it had a few moments. But it mostly dragged on with no real believable ideals driving it forward.

You learned to disrespect toxic masculinity, men in general for being this level of stupid, and women who are painted as in no way worth what they drive men to do. None of it was really working well. It was a better idea than the finished product.

The Duel, starring Dylan Sprouse and Patrick Warburton, poses an interesting question, namely, can or should modern problems be solved with historic solutions. Specifically, was the antebellum tradition of dueling a bonafide, or even an honorable way for real men to settle serious personal disputes? While this may seem outrageous on its face to modern audiences, the film goes to great lengths to explain, after a fashion, the philosophical basis for a practice that presumably spanned many centuries. Of course, the idea that SoCal beach bums would readily adopt the Code Duello may strain the credulity of the viewer. Undoubtedly inspired, to some degree or another, by the success and notoriety of Hamilton on Broadway, The Duel posits an improbable question in a very engaging and watchable package. Patrick Warburton as the dueling expert is reason enough to watch this!

I thought based on the trailer that this movie was going to be terrible. Like I actually watched it because I thought hey, this is gonna be a really terrible movie and sometimes that's what I want to see. But unfortunately (fortunately), I was actually surprised by how much I loved this. It's pretending to be a dumb stoner comedy, but it's actually smarter than most movies claiming to be smart, and funnier than most films claiming to be a comedy. The deeper themes shined through especially at the end, and I couldn't have enjoyed more how they stuck the landing. Despite the fun I had watching, I'm not giving it ten stars because this movie is objectively a 7/10, although the experience was, for a low budget dark comedy, exceptional.

The Duel is a brilliant dark comedy about two best friends trying to settle an argument. This film is a perfect combination of dark humor, comedy, and drama. The performances are incredible and really have you fully engaged with these characters and their story. Denton, Love, and Warburton will have your sides hurting from laughter! The script is layered with commentary on friendship, love, heartbreak and will. Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts truly are a dynamic writing duo to keep an eye out for! It's nothing short of a good time. You will most definitely have fun watching this. It will not disappoint!