Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Making his 4th Netflix Original Film within the final three years, actor/comic/producer Kevin Hart is again on the platform together with his newest enterprise, Lift, a heist-filled motion “comedy” helmed by The Fate of the Furious director F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Straight Outta Compton) from a script by 12 Rounds author Daniel Kunka.
Making good on his Netflix megadeal he signed in early 2021, Hart has now made three starring movies beneath his HartBeat Productions banner after a pair of critically panned movies, Me Time reverse Mark Wahlberg & The Man from Toronto alongside Woody Harrelson, dropped in 2022. Lift can be co-produced by The Batman director Matt Reeves’ firm sixth & Idaho, which additionally has an general cope with Netflix.
The movie follows a gaggle of grasp artwork thieves led by Cyrus Whitaker (Hart) who dwell by a code of stealing artwork earlier than it lands within the “wrong” fingers. After their “master of disguise” Denton (Vincent D’Onofrio) is caught by Interpol agent Abby Gladwell (Gugu Embatha-Raw), it looks like the group will lastly be taken down. However, Agent Gladwell is approached by her Interpol colleague Agent Huxley with a brand new proposition she reluctantly accepts: rent the staff to intercept 100 million {dollars} in gold bullion being transported from London to Zurich on 777 passenger flight as to not fall into the fingers of the terrorist cell Leviathan through their dealer Jorgensen (Jean Reno). Blackmailed into accepting the job over jail time, Cyrus and crew, alongside Agent Gladwell, mount up for the most important “lift” of their lives.
LIFT (L to R) Kevin Hart as Cyrus, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Abby and Billy Magnussen as Magnus in Lift. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Lift looks like the following step in Hart’s evolutionary plan to turn into the most recent unlikely motion star. Following his earlier action-focused movies like his team-ups with The Rock (Central Intelligence, Jumanji franchise), his meta “Die Hart” sequence, and his hitman mistaken identification film The Man from Toronto, Hart has determined to take himself largely out of the comedy scenes and mildew himself right into a extra strident & expert main man with a romantic curiosity and extra grounded sensibilities. While a lot of Hollywood might imagine this to be Hart going towards what makes him so widespread and likable with a variety of audiences, don’t fear … Producer Kevin Hart thinks it’s a terrific thought.
But does it work? Not actually, no. Trying to be extra Danny Ocean than fish out of water, Hart doesn’t appear to deliver the extent of assured bravado or stately appeal to seemingly lead a gaggle of thieves, get the lady, and outflank everybody concerned by movie’s finish. While not altogether his fault, he additionally doesn’t have a lot chemistry together with his former flame Agent Gladwell, whose backstory features a 5 day rendezvous with Cyrus in Paris after they have been each beneath false identities. With many, many, MANY variations of such a reluctant romance in lots of, many, MANY movies like this coming earlier than them, you’d hope that the blueprint for its success can be set earlier than them and carry their earlier personas in earlier tasks to information them on a productive and engrossing pairing. However, very similar to the movie itself, their interactions lack any taste or pleasure and limp alongside to their inevitable and apparent finish. The movie even goes up to now to have them create a diversion the place they should make the noises of lovemaking in an airplane rest room which is sealed with a passionate kiss and YET that’s accomplished with ZERO intercourse attraction and solely a small hint of humor NOT coming from Hart himself. God forbid anybody attempt to interact the viewers with what they most likely got here to see.
As for the plot, Lift in some way delivers a narrative that in some way talks over its viewers’s heads whereas additionally being largely lifeless & missing pleasure. Action “comedies” (sure, I’ll maintain placing this in quotes for this one) ought to have a verve and an vitality that makes you need to be part of the experience, legal or in any other case. “Being bad never felt so good” or “catching the bad guys” needs to be the mantra. Lift has little or no zip or zeal with a fairly grave set of circumstances to navigate round (they’re “saving lives”). If you desire a film that prioritizes convincing you to lose your religion in authorities entities and be part of a morally ambiguous heist crew that turns the one “good” individual within the movie towards its household’s perception system, then this one’s for you. But in case you got here to see your favourite comic revel within the joys of being dangerous for the great guys, you might be type of mistaken.
While Hart might have sacrificed his extra outgoing persona, there have been a few characters that at the very least tried to offer the movie some levity. Game Night and No Time To Die co-star, Billy Magnussen, as protected cracker Magnus (naturally) offers peppy dad humor vitality whereas he tries to exude any pleasure about pulling off the heist of the century. Tech whiz pilot Camila, performed by Money Heist star Ursula Corbero, relishes in some alternatives to spin a airplane round at 700 miles per hour. Informant dirtbag Harry, carried out by former BAFTA Breakout Artist David Proud, snarks and deceives his method into making good folks really feel dangerous, particularly about his handicap. And, lastly, veteran display big Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) looks like a child at camp being the world’s worst “master of disguise” who all the time seems utterly recognizable regardless of how a lot effort he places in.
LIFT (L to R) Oli Green as Eric Molten, Kevin Hart as Cyrus, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Abby in Lift. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Overall, LIFT tries to raise Kevin Hart right into a extra prestigious model of the motion comedy trope however largely takes a dive. Occasional moments of humor and hand-to-hand motion can’t deliver this torpid automobile in for a profitable touchdown. While I could not all the time love Kevin Hart as a comic or comedic actor, I might gladly take extra of him making an attempt to have enjoyable in a film that wishes to do the identical relatively than endure his urge for food for a extra severe main position.
Watch Lift on Netflix If You Like
- The Man From Toronto
- Die Hart
- Central Intelligence
- Me Time
- Ride Along
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
MVP of Lift
The Needle Drops
If the performances and the plot don’t need to all the time have an excellent time, go away it to former music video directing legend F. Gary Gray to deliver out the large music weapons to liven the temper! With tracks starting from fashionable rap gold like “Edamame” from bbno$ to extra soul/funk vibes from Silk Sonic and Curtis Mayfield, even probably the most visually and emotionally bland film montage moments could be dropped at life. The soundtrack additionally options “Phantom” by Shirt and “Busy Earnin” by Jungle.
Producer Kevin Hart must have much less religion in actor Kevin Hart in pulling off much less overtly humorous roles in what needs to be extra spirited and energetic variations of the basic motion comedy style all of us take pleasure in.