Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: A small army of well-trained criminals hijack a train deep beneath the English Channel.
Review: Ah the 90s. A solid era for action movies. A time when we saw a group of oil drillers take on an asteroid, a cryogenically frozen cop was thawed out to take out his nemesis who had also been given the icicle treatment, and two men swap faces while trying to out mug each other with over-the-top dialogue. My point being it was a different era where we would enjoy most anything once the explosions were epic and the bullets kept on flying. SAS: Red Notice would’ve probably been considered a cool action movie if it came out then, but as of now, it’s just another sizzler without the steak.
I think the main problem here is the first half of this film. The editing choices are odd and the acting is mediocre, which is also strange considering the cast is made up of some solid performers who have put out award-worthy work in the past. We have Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins) Sam Heughan (Outlander series) Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and The Wasp) and the master of mo-cap himself Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, all of the Apes movies) just to name a few. There’s a buttload of talent here, but all forced to portray one-note characters.
You might’ve noticed I didn’t mention Ruby Rose (Batwoman, The Meg) and that’s simply because she’s not on the level of the others here. I don’t think she’s a terrible actress, but I also think she hasn’t done anything that has truly made me sit up and take notice. And my opinion hasn’t changed with her role here as main baddie, Grace, a black-ops agent for the government turned terrorist when a “red notice” is issued for her and her family after an operation becomes public.
The second half of this movie goes a long way in keeping it from being a total wash though. The pacing settles down, the tension ratchets up, and the action flows better. It’s like someone sat down and watched Die Hard again, then did some much need rewrites to try and right the ship. Where we end up is the middle of the road.
SAS: Red Notice is a decent enough action movie if you’re at home and you’re in the mood for something that takes you back a decade or two. But even with an above-average production and a cast of well-knowns, I don’t see anyone adding this to their collection of awesome action flicks anytime soon.
Sommer’s Score: 5.5 out of 10
For more Ruby Rose you can check out my review of The Doorman by clicking here. Or for Editor Jules’s ranking of the Die Hard films you can click here.
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes.
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