I really wish I could say that this is a new high for Ritchie, that it capitalizes on his strengths and compensates for his weaknesses. Unfortunately, I would lie by saying that. This movie misses something crucial about Ritchies movies, something that makes him a great director. His best movies all do this expertly; it's the balance between lighthearted and serious, the juxtaposition between the often brutal plots and the lighthearted banter and conflicts between the characters. He's kinda similar to Tarantino in that regard, except that Tarantino has proven himself to also be excellent at making purely serious movies, and Ritchie hasn't convinced me he can do that, not as of now at least.
It's a shame, because there's a lot to like in this movie. The cinematography is solid as usual, the pacing is tight, the overall structure is efficient and makes for a good setup, and the performances are fine, even though the script doesn't require too much of any of the actors. The score is excellent as well, and while the sound design isn't anything special, it still works as intended.
None of the characters interested me though, not even H. The whole 'revenge after losing a loved one'-trope has been worn out a little by now. I feel like we've seen a little too many dark vengeance plots in recent years for me to really be affected by it anymore, which is a shame, since I've always been a massive fan of revenge stories.
So, at the end of the day, this is just a standard movie for me. Not great, kinda good, not super memorable. Maybe the prospect of Ritchie and Statham working together made my expectations too high, I don't know. All I know is that I liked this movie, but I wish it did more for me.
It's a shame, because there's a lot to like in this movie. The cinematography is solid as usual, the pacing is tight, the overall structure is efficient and makes for a good setup, and the performances are fine, even though the script doesn't require too much of any of the actors. The score is excellent as well, and while the sound design isn't anything special, it still works as intended.
None of the characters interested me though, not even H. The whole 'revenge after losing a loved one'-trope has been worn out a little by now. I feel like we've seen a little too many dark vengeance plots in recent years for me to really be affected by it anymore, which is a shame, since I've always been a massive fan of revenge stories.
So, at the end of the day, this is just a standard movie for me. Not great, kinda good, not super memorable. Maybe the prospect of Ritchie and Statham working together made my expectations too high, I don't know. All I know is that I liked this movie, but I wish it did more for me.