‘Carry-On’ review: Christmas movie for fatalistic thinkers
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra | Script: TJ Fixman, Michael Green | Cast: Taron Egerton (Ethan Kopek), Reiziger (Jason Bateman), Sofia Carson (Nora Parisi), Danielle Deadwyler (Elena Cole), Dean Norris (Phil Sarkowski), each Playing time: 119 minutes | Year: 2024
It’s the time of year for sweet Christmas fairy tales, but anyone who has a sibling dying from rides on the Polar Express can now too Continue crank. The heartwarming Christmas thriller is set in the crowded Los Angeles airport, where privileged families have to rush to catch their flights to sunnier climes the day before the gift-giving celebration. Things come to a head when a homicidal arms dealer takes advantage of rush hour to smuggle a rare nerve agent through baggage control..
The reluctant hero is Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton in fine form), an average airport employee who ends up at the carry-on checkpoint after a late shift change. The changing of the guard is a blow to the evil ‘traveler’ (a villainous Jason Bateman), who had sent someone earlier that morning to take Ethan’s colleague’s family hostage. Now that suddenly another employee is on the phone, the bad guy on duty has to improvise. Unfortunately for Ethan, he initially pulls it off with flying colors, in part because his unsuspecting girlfriend also works at the airport.
The traveler has made the necessary preparations and has accessed the images from the baggage control camera, while one of his other front men is already on the way with an extremely important suitcase. “There are people who exercise control and there are people who listen,” Ethan is told through an earpiece that ended up on his desk as a ‘found object.’ The fact of a mystery customer who does not tolerate any contradiction is a sure nod to Die hard with revenge (“Simon says…”), especially since the first part of that franchise also serves as a twisted Christmas movie.
the premise of Continue It’s efficient, but not too amazing. Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-stop, The traveler) has practically turned the sophisticated combination of public transportation and threatening directions into an art, and after trips to DC (black adam) in the jungle (jungle cruise) the Spaniard returns with the type of film that best suits him. His action thrillers are characterized by a concise plot and a frenetic environment, where the biggest threat is usually innocent bystanders who become victims with the snap of a finger.
His latest work begins attractively, with a pleasant introduction to Egerton’s main character and an atmospheric sketch of his busy work environment. The timing of the story, close to the holidays, provides that extra touch of atmosphere; If you want to give the movie a chance, don’t wait until January.
Despite the entertaining start, it suffers Continue Unfortunately there is a problem that also affects similar Collet-Serra films. While the first half hour is compelling and entertaining, the rest is plagued by a lackluster ending and a complete lack of credibility. Whether it’s an FBI agent who has to Google ‘Novichok’, the traveler who can calmly continue moving through the airport with a large backpack or his accomplice who effortlessly breaches security, the writing challenges the imagination and, Ultimately, it turns out to be lazy.
It makes a difference to us Continue we can take with a little more caution that, for example The traveler. To maintain tension, Collet-Serra could have asked more of himself and his screenwriters. But when the exhausted sounds of Last Christmas are heard in one of the action scenes, it also becomes clear that serious (con)plot development has never been a top priority.
you can handle that Continue I also have some one-liners, of which “people don’t come here to catch their flights, they come here to eat sushi” is the best. Fatalistic thinkers who view the year 2025 and the rest of world history with sadness would do better to watch another Christmas movie, but if alone at home and you’re tired of Hallmark, Netflix offers you a break.
Continue can be seen in netflix.