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A CIA interrogator is lured into a ruse that puts London at risk of a biological attack. A CIA interrogator is lured into a ruse that puts London at risk of a biological attack. A CIA interrogator is lured into a ruse that puts London at risk of a biological attack.

• Michael Apted
• Peter O'Brien
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• Trivia Noomi Rapace had her nose fractured when she was elbowed accidentally while filming a fight scene. She didn't realize the extent of the injury until much later so, after a brief black out, she insisted on carrying on with the scene. As of April 2015, the fracture had yet to be mended and had healed crocked.
• Goofs Many semiautomatic pistols have an internal device called a "magazine disconnect safety" so the pistol cannot be fired when the magazine is removed. In the scene where Alice secretly removes the magazine, she does not rack the slide so there is still a live cartridge in the chamber of the pistol. But when she presses the gun against the man and pulls the trigger it does not fire. This is correct if the gun has a magazine disconnect safety, which it must have or else it would have fired. The fact that the gun did not fire is evidence of that safety, not an error.

[last lines]

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[pulls out a live grenade]

• Connections Featured in Good Morning Britain: Episode dated 26 April 2017 (2017)
• Soundtracks Where I'm From Performed by Kiko Bun Written by Leroy Sibbles (as Sibbles) / Oliver Sebastian Rodigan (as Rodigan) / Marin / Federico Gigli Marin (as Gigli) © 2015 Published by Universal Polygram Int. Publishing, Inc. / BMG Rights Management UK Ltd Courtesy of Island Records Under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd Used by permission. All rights reserved

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• Apr 21, 2018
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‘unlocked’: film review.

Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom and Michael Douglas lead the starry cast in 'Unlocked,' a London-set action thriller from former 007 director Michael Apted.

By Stephen Dalton

Stephen Dalton

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There must surely be a gap in the market for a female-led spy thriller series in the James Bond or Jason Bourne mode. Alas, Unlocked is not the film to launch that franchise, despite sticking firmly within genre conventions. A little too firmly, arguably. Despite a starry international cast headed by Noomi Rapace , Orlando Bloom , Toni Collette and Michael Douglas , this functional contemporary spy yarn is played way too straight by 76-year-old British director Michael Apted ( The World Is Not Enough ), who brings nothing fresh to the formula besides the minor innovation of dropping an action heroine into a male-dominated field.

That said, the timely plot about Islamist terror attacks on the streets of London and Paris will add a newsworthy angle to the film’s marketing. Unlocked has already sold widely across multiple territories, and makes its U.K. theatrical debut later this week, with a U.S. release scheduled for September. Globally, the largely conservative groundswell of undemanding action-thriller fanboys will likely deliver respectable box-office numbers, but do not put money on a sequel.

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Release date: May 05, 2017

Rapace plays Alice Racine, a hotshot CIA agent working deep undercover in a grungy East London neighborhood where Islamist terror groups are known to operate. Still haunted by a Paris bomb massacre that she failed to prevent, Alice tells her former agency boss (Douglas) that she is wary of returning to active duty. But when an imminent large-scale attack involving Russian biological weapons suddenly looks likely, she grudgingly bows to pressure to help interrogate a key suspect. Then all hell breaks loose.

A few treacherous twists later, Alice is on the run from a spectacular bloodbath, dodging furtively past tourist-friendly London landmarks with both U.K. and U.S. intelligence agents on her tail. A chance meeting with a hunky ex-marine turned wise-cracking house burglar (Bloom) provides her with an unlikely ally, while the sassy head of MI5 (Collette) also offers ambivalent support. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a sardonic CIA chief (John Malkovich ) monitors her progress suspiciously. As Alice races against time to foil the bio-terror attack, it starts to feel like everybody is playing a double or even triple game.

In theory, Unlocked is a noble attempt to forge a female counterpart to Bourne or Bond. But in reality, it is seriously hobbled by a creaky script and clumsy performances. Apted has a respectable track record, but he can do little to energize a groaningly familiar Frankenplot that seems to have been patched together from half a dozen equally forgettable movies and depends on a string of increasingly implausible double-cross twists instead of generating its own innate dramatic tension. The apocalyptic bio-terror attack, an oddly amateurish scheme hatched by a handful of unhinged hardliners with poorly explained motives, is also fatally low on suspense. It even climaxes with one of those frantic race-against-time countdowns that long ago jumped the shark from action thriller staple to Austin Powers -level parody.

Rapace has the kick-ass moves, but her low-voltage performance is too waxy and blank for a lead role. Sporting tattoos and a man-bun, Bloom makes a comically off-target bid to rebrand himself as a Jason Statham-type hard man, barking cod-Dickensian lines in a cartoonish mockney accent that will grate with many Brit viewers. Meanwhile, Malkovich gives yet another of those withering, aloof, borderline-camp turns designed to let us know he is way too good for such lowbrow material. And yet he took the paycheck anyway.

Still, at least Douglas brings a dash of reliable old-school heft, even in this kind of late-career slumming role, while Collette radiates twinkly androgynous mischief with her peroxide punkette buzzcut and cut-glass English accent. At least somebody is having fun with this otherwise grindingly self-serious exercise in pedestrian pulp, which should have been much more of a guillty pleasure than it turned out to be.

To its credit, Unlocked delivers a smattering of modestly gripping action sequences and takes cameras into some of the shabby, impoverished, multi-racial corners of non-swinging London that are seldom seen onscreen. Admittedly, cheaper Prague locations stand in for London at times, but only eagle-eyed locals will spot the discrepancies. Bridesmaid finally becomes bride in the final coda, where Prague briefly gets to play itself, while Peter O’Brien’s open-ended screenplay makes a brazen pitch for a sequel. Dream on.

Production company: Di Bonaventura Pictures Distributor: Lionsgate Cast: Noomi Rapace , Michael Douglas, Toni Collette, Orlando Bloom, John Malkovich , Tosin Cole Director: Michael Apted Screenplay: Peter O’Brien Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Claudia Bleumhuber, Georgina Townsley, Erik Howsam Cinematographer: George Richmond Editor: Andrew MacRitchie Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil Music: Stephen Barton

128 minutes

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Unlocked review – spies and jihadis battle it out in entertaining thriller

Noomi Rapace, Toni Collette, John Malkovich and Michael Douglas star in Michael Apted’s vigorous drama

V eteran director Michael Apted has put together an entertaining espionage action-thriller, on the time-honoured theme of the agent going rogue because the bosses are complicit in the dirty dealing; Apted is working with a script from feature newcomer Peter O’Brien. It doesn’t break much in the way of new ground, but that isn’t exactly the point – it rattles along and Apted tackles it with gusto. It’s also satisfying to see Toni Collette let rip with a machine gun.

Noomi Rapace plays Alice, a CIA agent undercover in London; Michael Douglas is her handler; John Malkovich is the hawkish spy chief at Langley; and Collette is his testy opposite number at MI5. Alice is curtly called in to interrogate a jihadi intermediary suspected of being about to give the “go” instruction on a bio-warfare attack somewhere in the US. She’s about to break him – when something strange happens.

Like so many thrillers of this sort, the movie blandly assumes that Middle Eastern terrorists aren’t smart enough to fool US authorities: it takes American converts and American spies. But this covert cliche aside, Unlocked is an entertaining genre thriller, punched home with vigour and attack.

• Action and adventure films
• Drama films
• Michael Apted
• Michael Douglas
• John Malkovich

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Unlocked review

Noomi Rapace stars in Unlocked, a new spy thriller from director Michael Apted. A new franchise in the offing? Ryan takes a look...

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Are filmmakers having trouble titling their spy thrillers? Think about the names of classic examples of the genre: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. The Ipcress File. Three Days Of The Condor. The Day Of The Jackal.  Cool. Evocative. Enticing.

Now consider the following: Salt. Spectre. The Double. Unlocked. Don’t exactly get the pulse racing, do they?

Still, there’s plenty of tension and paranoia to go around in Unlocked , even if its name slips from the mind as soon as you’ve looked at the poster. Noomi Rapace stars as Alice Racine, a former CIA interrogator who’s reluctant to return to the fold after a she failed to foil a terrorist plot five years earlier. But a new threat – in the form of a biological weapon – forces Alice back into action, as she engages in a mad dash around London to track down the killer virus before it’s triggered.

What follows is a fairly rote thriller in the mode of Jason Bourne or TV’s Spooks (which got a forgettable big-screen spin-off, The Greater Good, in 2015). The good news is that veteran director Michael Apted has form in this kind of thing, having brought us the good-but-not-great 90s Bond outing The World Is Not Enough ; he brings a decent number of whizzes and bangs to most of Unlocked’ s action sequences, which are far more spiky and bloody than in your average Bond or Bourne flick.

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The bad news is that the plot’s taken straight from the big book of generic spy films. There’s a sage mentor figure – played by Michael Douglas in a spectacular white roll-neck sweater – an icy handler – Toni Collette, with a cut-glass accent and an even sharper Annie Lennox haircut – and a ruthless CIA boss – played by John Malkovich, who turns in a very Malkovich performance. You know, hard stares, abrupt bursts of shouting, that kind of thing.

At times, it’s difficult to tell whether we’re supposed to take Unlocked seriously or not. Screenwriter Peter O’Brien conjures up the phantom of international terrorism, and Apted, with his unwavering documentary-maker’s eye for the everyday, grounds the movie in a believably multicultural, contemporary London: apparently shot in the middle of October, Unlocked is all steel-grey skies, social housing blocks and run-down concrete car parks. Yet O’Brien throws in the occasional oddity to give us pause, which land on the screen like artefacts from another dimension: Orlando Bloom with an EastEnders accent as an ex-soldier and burglar (seriously, he’s in the middle of pilfering a television when he literally bumps into Alice); Malkovich mugging at Toni Collette over Skype; a terrorist riding a tiny bicycle like a refugee from BMX Bandits.

It’s all very odd, and we haven’t even got to Noomi Rapace’s leading performance. Softly spoken and surprisingly apologetic, Rapace entirely lacks the cool resolve of, say, Angelina Jolie’s turn in Salt – a movie Unlocked resembles, with all its assorted twists and changes of allegiance. (If we didn’t know better, we’d say Unlocked began life as a Salt sequel, in fact – the two movies even share the same producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura.)

Solidly shot, quite tense in its best moments, Unlocked feels like one of those films you’d catch by accident on a late night cable channel, or might stumble on while flicking through the in-flight entertainment on a trip abroad. It’s by no means an awful film, but it’s several furlongs from a remarkable one. Ironically, it’s Unlocked ’s weirder moments that prevent it from being as forgettable as its title: Orlando Bloom muttering about his love of tagines; Toni Collette firing a machine gun the size of a family car; an incredibly strange moment involving a tattooed man, a lift and a pair of angry dogs.

If only the film had continued further down this route, and brought us a more outré take on the traditional spy thriller. More Michael Douglas in ill-advised sweaters; more of Bloom’s opinions on North African cuisine; more terrorists on tiny BMX bikes. Unlocked is one thing – Unhinged would have been far, far more interesting.

Unlocked is out in UK cinemas on the 5th May.

Ryan Lambie

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – Unlocked (2017)

May 2, 2017 by Freda Cooper

Unlocked , 2017.

Directed by Michael Apted. Starring Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Toni Collette, Michael Douglas and John Malkovich.

Former CIA interrogator Alice (Noomi Rapace) is working undercover in a London community centre.  She’s reluctant to go back to her old job because of her failure to “unlock” a suspect, which resulted in terrorist attack which killed dozens of innocent people.  But the apparent prospect of a chemical attack on London draws her back in – under false pretences.  Now she has to track down who’s really behind it.

Just a few minutes into Michael Apted’s Unlocked , a terrible cloud of deja vu descends.  We’ve been here time and time again, but this time familiarity doesn’t just breed contempt, it does nothing to make the film memorable.  The sad truth about the latest from one of Britain’s best directors is that it’s forgettable, sub-Spooks tosh.

On paper, it has plenty going for it.  Apted for one, even though of late he’s been concentrating on TV ( Ray Donovan , Masters Of Sex ) rather than movies.  Before that, he’d mixed feature films – goodies like Gorillas In The Mist (1988) and Thunderheart (1992) – with documentaries.  And he’s probably best known of all for the TV documentary series that started with 7 Up! in 1964 and has since returned every seven years to see how the lives of the people involved have changed and developed.  There’s a decent enough cast as well – Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom and Toni Collette are joined by John Malkovich and Michael Douglas to add a bit of Hollywood appeal.

From her expression, Rapace knows all too well that she’s tangled up in a mess of a film, and her constantly sour look gives away what she thinks of it.  Anybody would think she’d been weaned on a pickle.  And, although the poster might indicate that Orlando Bloom is her sidekick for the duration of the film, don’t believe a word of it.  His is very much a supporting role, and he has to be the least convincing former Marine you’ve ever seen.  Then there’s Michael Douglas and his repeated references to his age: when he describes himself as “being too old for this shit”, all you can do is nod in agreement.  Only John Malkovich attempts to breathe some life into the leaden dialogue, but what he does is to go right over the top.  At least it’s a relief from the infantile rubbish that’s served up when he’s not on-screen.

So what exactly is wrong with Unlocked ?  For starters, it’s highly derivative, looking like the movie version of a TV series, one that’s been stretched to the mandatory ninety minutes.  If it wasn’t so bad, you’d think it was a parody.  Perhaps Malkovich has the right approach after all.  The storyline is just another bog standard spy yarn, making use of the current terrorist concerns but just exploiting it for its own ends.  Apparently, the script was on the 2008 Blacklist as one of the most liked screenplays that didn’t get made that year.  It should have stayed where it was.

For action, read gunfire, because that’s pretty much all there is.  No suspense, no tension, because it’s all so predictable and we couldn’t give a monkeys about any of the characters.  Douglas, Collette, Bloom, Rapace and Malkovich don’t stand a cat in hell’s chance, despite their skills and experience.  They must have taken the money and scarpered PDQ.

We’ve been here before, over and over, and we know it.  And we don’t need to be here again.  Forget Unlocked (it’s not difficult).  Just lock it up and throw away the key.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Freda Cooper –  Follow me on Twitter , check out my movie blog and listen to my podcast, Talking Pictures .

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Movie Review: Unlocked (2017)

• Vincent Gaine
• Movie Reviews
• One response
• --> May 20, 2017

London. One of the nerve centers of world government. Home of the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. Home of black cabs and the Tube. Home to a thousand nationalities and one of the most cosmopolitan metropolises in the world. Home of the elastic ruler, the clockwork lamppost and the inflatable knitting needle (according to some). Setting of such movies as “ Spectre ,” “ Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation ,” “The Mummy Returns,” “Layer Cake,” “The Long Good Friday” and many more. And the setting of Michael Apted’s Unlocked , a spy thriller that offers much familiar territory, especially for a Brit.

Unlocked introduces us to this iconic urban landscape through an opening montage that cuts between Londoners making their way through the bustling streets to tourists eagerly snapping pictures of the famous sites. Within this hubbub of humanity we find Alice Racine (Noomi Rapace, “ The Drop ”), a community center worker who advises people of Middle Eastern extraction on housing and employment issues. It quickly becomes clear that Racine is more than she seems, as word of a large group of Egyptians sharing an apartment leads to a late evening meeting with Emily Knowles (Toni Collette, “ Krampus ”), their discussion covering Langley, MI5 and terror suspects.

All of this happens early in the film, and anyone who saw the trailer or indeed the poster will likely be waiting for the generic thrills to kick in. Racine and Knowles’ meeting is followed by a similarly covert encounter in a restaurant between a young courier and an Iman, a ruthlessly efficient abduction and the obligatory scenes at Langley, where CIA division chief Bob Hunter (John Malkovich, “ Deepwater Horizon ”) grills his team about missing dinner with his wife, before moving onto the important business of intel, assets, interceptions and other such jargon. Before you can say Jack Ryan, the reluctant agent with a troubled past is dragged back onto the job, things are revealed to be more than they seem and loyalties and alliances become at best tenuous.

These are the generic tropes of the spy movie, and how well it works depends on how effectively these tropes are handled. Apted previously directed Pierce Brosnan’s third James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough,” but the register of Unlocked is closer to Doug Liman’s handling of “The Bourne Identity” (and calmer than Paul Greengrass’ frenetic rendering of the later installments in that franchise). Stylistically, the film opts for a grounded realism, eschewing the more outlandish stunts in favor of gritty unarmed combat sequences and fairly contained gunplay. Racine quickly demonstrates that her skills go beyond interrogation, but she is not granted the superhuman abilities of James Bond or even Evelyn Salt, sometimes needing help from various allies including a somewhat buffed up Orlando Bloom (“ The Three Musketeers ”) as London burglar/ex-Marine Jack Alcott. Alcott and Racine make for an engagingly mismatched pair, while Racine also finds aid from local lad Amjad (Tosin Cole, “ Star Wars: The Force Awakens ”).

The film’s groundedness, however, is sometimes at odds with the twists and contrivances of Peter O’Brien’s screenplay. Reminiscent of such thrillers as “Three Days of the Condor” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” Unlocked uses a tried and tested formula that does seem appropriate for the current political climate (although a picture of Obama in Hunter’s office does date the film somewhat). At times, however, the sheer intricacy of the conspiracy seems too pat and monologuing villains do stretch one’s patience.

The film does make good use of its setting with various street level encounters and a palatable sense of Racine being a ground level operative. This is quite impressive as, despite its London setting, much of the film was shot in Prague, and a sequence in the Czech capital feels like a tacked on deviation into another film and suggestion of a franchise. That said, Apted’s direction is gripping and at times visceral, and while the film is thoroughly unremarkable it is perfectly proficient. Furthermore, it is pleasing to see a spy thriller where the women are more capable than the men, largely because of their willingness to listen and investigate rather than simply assuming they know best. Key to this progressive sense is Rapace, who continues to deliver on the promise she showed in the “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and continued with the subsequent films in that series (“The Girl who Played with Fire” and “The Girl who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest”), as well as “ Prometheus ” and “ Child 44 .” She is capable of communicating a great deal with only a slight look, while also demonstrating compelling physical prowess in the action sequences.

Unlocked may not develop the spy genre in new directions like, say, “ Spy ” or Bourne, but it is a solid entry in the genre and a fine showcase of Rapace’s very particular set of skills.

Tagged: CIA agent , investigation , London , partner , terrorism , thief

Dr. Vincent M. Gaine is a film and television researcher. His first book, Existentialism and Social Engagement in the Films of Michael Mann was published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2011. His work on film and media has been published in Cinema Journal and The Journal of Technology , Theology and Religion , as well as edited collections including The 21st Century Superhero and The Directory of World Cinema .

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'Movie Review: Unlocked (2017)' has 1 comment

May 20, 2017 @ 7:13 pm nelson

I like Noomi Rapace and she as a Bourne-Bond character sounds really interesting. TY

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UNLOCKED (2017) review

written by: Peter O’Brien produced by: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Georgina Townsley, Erik Howsam & Claudia Bluemhuber directed by: Michael Apted rated: R (for violence and language) runtime: 98 min. U.S. release date: September 1, 2017

The influence of the “Bourne” movies and the television series “24” have become prevalent in our consumption of movies and television series that revolve around government agents or spies and the terrorists they pursue, making it somewhat of a challenge to come up with anything new or different. Unless the tone is wholly original, it’s become apparent that it’s really hard to steer clear of the kind of formula we’re used to seeing. Such is the case with “Unlocked”, the latest spy thriller from veteran director Michael Apted, who has some experience in this genre, having helmed “The World is Not Enough,” an eighteen-year-old 007 entry. “Unlocked” is a movie that can’t seem to maintain any interest despite the impressive acting pedigrees of its cast. Despite a couple of solid performances, the convoluted story and confusing characters fail to leave any lasting mark.

Screenwriter Peter O’Brien makes his feature film writing debut after writing HALO video games for Microsoft. His story (which was considered “most liked” in the assortment of unmade screenplays in the 2008 Blacklist) is primarily set in modern-day London, but we do get a little backstory on our main character, Alice Racine ( Noomi Rapace ), a former CIA interrogator. Years ago, she was involved in cracking down on a terrorist hit in Paris that ended up a disaster with multiple civilian deaths. Of course, in typical fashion, Alice is haunted by that event and has spent the years since laying low at a desk job.

Since “something” has to pull her back in (or, as they say here, “unlock”), the story shifts to CIA head Bob Hunter ( John Malkovich , typically short-tempered) surrounded by lackeys in a situation room as they monitor the surfacing activity of a top Muslim community leader that’s attempting to reach out to a character named, Mercer  ( Michael Epp ), a known terrorist. When a courier allegedly connected to Mercer is captured by the MI5, Alice’s specific skill set is needed, so she’s reluctantly pulled in by Agent Knowles ( Toni Collette ) to extract information from the captive.

After seeking assistance from her old mentor, Eric Lasch ( Michael Douglas ), it suddenly becomes clear that the interrogation she was expecting was a set-up orchestrated by an unknown source with information linked to the CIA.  Before she knows it, Alice is on the run, scrambling to determine who she can trust. While struggling to get to details on Mercer’s plans to release a deadly virus, Alice aligns herself with Amjad ( Tosin Cole ) an eager Muslim-speaking rookie and a Jack ( Orlando Bloom , dull and unconvincing), a brash ex-Marine who conveniently offers his services.

At least, that’s how the story goes down because, as I mentioned, it gets a little convoluted, to the point where I gave up trying to figure out who’s who and what they’re trying to do. For the most part, the characters and the actors playing them are enough entertainment for me, but I couldn’t help but think how this could be so much more engaging than what it actually is, especially with this cast.

While I may not have seen everything she’s done since breaking onto the scene as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish “The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo” trilogy (sorry, Rooney Mara), I definitely find Rapace quite the draw of any movie she’s in. I find her wonderfully talented, with an absorbing focus to her performances that draws viewers in effortlessly. I liked her work as Alice Racine, but the character is somewhat unexplored. Granted, she’s on the go for most of “Unlocked.” I couldn’t help but wonder more about who she is and what was involved in her past. It’s a great role for Rapace, who can be just as intense during the silent moments as in the action sequences. She certainly carries the movie (although she can’t save it), whereas veterans like Douglas and Malkovich pretty much play stock variations on characters they’ve played before.

Apted is a director I’ve generally liked, having made movies like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Gorillas in the Mist” as well as movies I’ll defend like “Continental Divide” and “Class Action,” but he’s been absent from the big screen since 2012’s “Chasing Mavericks,” a surfing biopic he took over while Curtis Hanson was recovering from heart surgery.  Apted, who made a name for himself in his career as something of a journeyman, has also made some important documentaries as well, but he’s lately spent time directing episodes of “Master of Sex” on the small screen. “Unlocked” doesn’t show a new side to Apted. The approach taken isn’t anything all that unique, and it doesn’t help that most of the movie involves staring at screens, checking phones, or characters waiting for something to happen. I understand that’s all part of the story, but nothing is that exciting about anything for the viewer to endure.

However, what brings down the film is O’Brien’s screenplay. While it’s fun to see the hoops he has Rapace jumping through, the twists in the film are hardly clever and rarely ever unpredictable. It also doesn’t help that the story’s antagonist is never clearly (or entirely) realized. It’s hard to pinpoint what or where the discernible threat is, and that’s never a good sign.

The ads for “Unlocked” promote “from the producer of “Salt” and “Red,” which eludes to prolific American producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who had his hands in many a big-budget blockbuster (some “Transformers” and “G.I. JOE” movies) as well as some real stinkers too (such as this month’s “Kidnap”). I highly doubt “from the producer” has ever pulled viewers in that were otherwise indecisive as to whether or not they should see a movie, but for all I know there could be a di Bonaventura following out there that I’m unaware of. Still, if that’s the only selling point of the movie, it seems like a desperate gesture.

One thing I kept thinking about while watching “Unlocked” is how there are so many movies like this nowadays. Peruse Netflix, Hulu, or VOD, and you’ll know what I mean—the only difference is that most of those lean more heavily on the action element. Sure, Rapace works hard here, but everyone else (minus Colette) seems to be on autopilot, and it becomes increasingly obvious as the movie unfolds.

“Unlocked” is another one of those movies that find a solid cast middling their way through mediocre material. There is a scene with heavy artillery blasting Toni Collette sporting an awesome Annie Lennox lid that perked my attention. I couldn’t help but imagine an action flick with Collette as that character with that look, scored completely by The Eurythmics or Lennox. Think about it: bullets whizzing around her as she methodically takes out her pursuers while “Love is a Stranger” plays – yeah, that would be awesome!

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Did you watch the movie David? It was pretty clear, and as a spy movie, I found it didn’t give anything away to easily. The story plays out, and it unwinds like a decent thriller. You just have to listen and follow along.

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Unlocked Review

05 May 2017

Ever since the Bourne trilogy came along and jacked up the spy-thriller genre, many films have tried to recapture its sweaty-palmed magic. But none of them, including two more films with “Bourne” in the title, have quite reached those high standards. The latest contender, Unlocked, strains to pull off the same moves. But where Supremacy and Ultimatum in particular were pure caffeine, this is more like herbal tea. Despite the impressive cast, it rarely manages to accelerate the pulse.

The one original-ish twist, although Steven Soderbergh beat them to the punch with 2011’s Gina Carano vehicle Haywire , is to make the hero female. CIA operative Alice Racine gets a quick backstory setting her up as a troubled badass: she’s a former teen runaway who once broke a teacher’s arm, obviously for good reason. More recently, she was traumatised by a bridge-based terror attack in 2012, while she was stationed in Paris. It’s a pretty rote set-up, but Noomi Rapace, ever adept at playing emotionally lacerated characters, brings heft to the role. And when it all inevitably goes to hell and Alice goes on the run, Rapace flings herself into the action scenes, totally believable as a hard-as-nails streetfighter.

The supporting characters are less successful. On paper, Unlocked has a couple of major draws: namely Michael Douglas and John Malkovich. But neither performance is likely to linger long in the mind. Douglas is in a handful of scenes as an avuncular spymaster, dispensing such bland intelligence clichés as, “Langley’s going to want to bring you in,” and, “I’m too old for this shit.” Malkovich, meanwhile, as a typically Malkovichian grouchy CIA chief, delivers almost all of his lines over Skype (at one point he changes things up and uses FaceTime). On the plus side, he has an excellent character name: Bob Hunter. Subverting expectations, at no point in the runtime does Bob Hunter become Bob Hunted.

These roles are merely forgettable, but one of the film’s major missteps comes as it introduces Jack, a cheeky-chappie, video game-loving East End burglar who, for some reason, teams up with Alice. He’s tattooed, boasts an earring and calls her “love” — basically Danny Dyer. So of course the producers called on Orlando Bloom. The Canterbury-born star gives it a good go, but the character is inherently ridiculous and the casting doesn’t help, especially with Bloom required to sell lines like, “I love a tagine.”

As for the director, Michael Apted is a decent filmmaker who’s been cranking out thrillers since 1983’s Moscow-set Gorky Park . But here he seems hampered by a limited budget (most of the action sequences take place in stairwells or car parks) and a tepid plot that meanders around London without building up much of a head of steam. Unlocked goes for grit over gloss, and it occasionally works: a lo-fi interrogation scene, complete with can of Irn-Bru, feels real and tense. After a while, though, you start to yearn for the jittery rush and bravura of Paul Greengrass’ camera moves.

This material — bioweapons, dastardly imams, double-agent reveals — has been so well-mined in recent years (even 24 did a season in London) that a story needs something up its sleeve to overcome viewer fatigue. This has a couple of big, outlandish twists, but they’re not really enough. Any plans there may be to turn this into a new franchise (next up: The Unlocked Supremacy?) are likely wishful thinking.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Strong, tough female character wasted in generic thriller.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Presents a world in which no one can be trusted an

The main character is a tough, smart woman. But sh

Very strong violence, with guns and shooting, heav

Extremely brief, mild sex-related talk.

Several uses of "f--k," plus "s--t," "a--hole," "h

Brief smoking.

Parents need to know that Unlocked is a generic thriller about a CIA agent (Noomi Rapace) who's trying to stop a terrorist attack. Violence is frequent and graphic, with guns and shooting, bloody wounds and blood puddles, dead bodies, grabbing and fighting, a knife attack, a taser gun, a grenade/explosion,…

Positive Messages

Presents a world in which no one can be trusted and the life of a secret agent seems mostly lonely and depressing.

Positive Role Models

The main character is a tough, smart woman. But she needs to be rescued by a man from time to time, and she doesn't have a particularly admirable life overall.

Violence & Scariness

Very strong violence, with guns and shooting, heavy fighting, bloody wounds and blood puddles, and dead bodies. Terrorist attacks. Children are exposed to dangerous chemicals; a sick kid is shown bleeding from the eyes. Characters are dragged, grabbed, and beaten. Mice and a dog are injured/killed (offscreen). Character is hit with taser gun. Knife attack. Rottweiler attack. Falls from high places. Grenade and explosion.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Several uses of "f--k," plus "s--t," "a--hole," "hell," and "Jesus Christ."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Unlocked is a generic thriller about a CIA agent ( Noomi Rapace ) who's trying to stop a terrorist attack. Violence is frequent and graphic, with guns and shooting, bloody wounds and blood puddles, dead bodies, grabbing and fighting, a knife attack, a taser gun, a grenade/explosion, and a fall from a high place. There's also a disturbing would-be terrorist attack in which a child is exposed to chemicals; he's shown lying in bed, covered in red marks and bleeding from the eyes. Mice and dogs are hurt offscreen. Language is strong, too, with several uses of "f--k," plus "s--t" and "a--hole," as well as brief, mild sex-related talk. A minor character smokes a cigarette in one scene. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (1)

Based on 2 parent reviews

An empowered female protagonist

This film is phenomenal., what's the story.

In UNLOCKED, former CIA agent Alice Racine ( Noomi Rapace ) -- haunted by her failure to prevent a terrorist attack in Paris -- now works in an office as a social worker. When intelligence points to a possible new attack, Alice is the only one who can help; so, despite her reluctance, her old superior ( Michael Douglas ) calls her back into action. While questioning a captured suspect, Alice discovers that the mission has been compromised. While escaping, she crosses paths with Jack Alcott ( Orlando Bloom ), a cat burglar who stays on to lend a hand. As Alice gets closer to discovering the source of the evil plot, she begins to realize that she can't trust anyone.

Is It Any Good?

Remarkable only because it casts a woman in a traditionally male role, this stagnant thriller is dull and convoluted, alternating between numbing exposition and stale, creaky action scenes. It's shocking that director Michael Apted made this; he's a 40-year veteran with memorable films like Coal Miner's Daughter , Gorky Park , and Thunderheart on his resume, as well as entries in the James Bond and Narnia franchises. With Unlocked , it seems like he's asleep ... or doesn't care at all. The movie's supposed "surprise twists" are lazily doled out, and the scenes appear to have been assembled in a kind of random order, based on genre formulas.

Veterans Toni Collette , Douglas, and John Malkovich chew the scenery with some enthusiasm -- especially Malkovich -- almost as if no one was directing them. A weirdly miscast Bloom has already drawn harsh criticism for his wobbly accent. But Rapace's role is the biggest shame; her character seems like it was written for a male and not changed much, or at all, for her. It's not unique in any way; she just runs and jumps and hits and shoots. This might have been the start of a new franchise, but instead it's a sad disappointment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Unlocked 's violence . Is it thrilling or grotesque? Why? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

Do you consider Alice a role model ? What makes her a strong character? What are her flaws?

How does Unlocked compare to other movies with strong, tough female characters?

Movie Details

• In theaters : September 1, 2017
• On DVD or streaming : November 14, 2017
• Cast : Noomi Rapace , Orlando Bloom , Michael Douglas
• Director : Michael Apted
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Lionsgate Premiere
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 98 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence and language
• Last updated : June 20, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Unlocked ending explained: Who is the killer in Netflix's Korean thriller?

"Shall I live as Woo Jun-yeong?"

Unlocked ending spoilers follow.

Having picked up Na-mi's phone, Jun-yeong (Yim Si-wan) seeks to return it to her, but not before installing spyware. From there on, Jun-yeong begins to watch Na-mi's every move and listen to every conversation, making obsessive notes about her life, finances and social network.

Soon after, things in Na-mi's life start to get strange. Friends receive offensive messages from her that she didn't send, and she keeps bumping into Jun-yeong, who has strikingly similar interests.

Meanwhile, police detective Ji-man (Kim Hee-won) begins secretly investigating his estranged son, Jun-yeong, after discovering multiple bodies with evidence connected to him.

Both Ji-man and Na-mi realise Jun-yeong's grave intentions and their efforts to escape from Jun-yeong and incarcerate him before it's too late lead to a thrilling finale and an unexpected reveal.

Some big spoilers are ahead, so don't read on until you've seen Unlocked .

Unlocked ending explained: Who is Woo Jun-yeong?

Woo Jun-yeong is presented as a serial killer with several disguises, a tendency toward stalking, and dangerous intentions towards Na-mi. However, we find out he's not actually Jun-yeong at all – but we'll get to that.

The morning after Na-mi drops her phone, her friend calls. Jun-yeong answers, using pre-recorded responses in a woman's voice, explaining that he picked up the lost phone and hoped to return it. Notified by her friend, Na-mi also calls her phone and receives Jun-yeong's premeditated responses. They arrange for the phone to be left at Na-mi's father's cafe.

However, when Na-mi arrives, she gets a call to say her phone was dropped en route, smashing the screen. It's been left at a phone repair shop and the bill has been paid, she just needs to collect it.

The sketchy-looking phone shop is where she meets Jun-yeong, face covered by cap and mask. He doesn't talk, only gestures. Na-mi waits as Jun-yeong fixes her phone out back. But as he does, he places spyware onto the phone.

Na-mi leaves with her repaired phone, and the show begins. Jun-yeong watches her life through the phone camera, he listens to every conversation and reads every text – gaining information that he can use to stalk Na-mi and isolate her from everyone that cares about her.

At the same time, Jun-yeong's father, a police detective called Ji-man, begins uncovering bodies in a place that his estranged son was fond of. The evidence raises suspicions that Jun-yeong could be involved. So he checks his wife's phone, finding text exchanges between her and Jun-yeong.

Armed with Jun-yeong's address, Ji-man heads to the apartment to find pages of notes, numerous smartphones with photos of the dead as screensavers, and the same plant food that was found buried with the bodies.

As Ji-man begins filming the evidence confirming that his son is the serial killer, Jun-yeong returns home. But he realises his father is rifling around before opening the door, and begins to taunt him. Jun-yeong sends a photo of his location on the street outside the apartment and Ji-man runs out to check, giving Jun-yeong the opportunity to destroy the evidence and flee.

Meanwhile, Jun-yeong continues to ‘bump into' Na-mi. He poses as an IT office worker who shares Na-mi's interests and claims to be a regular at her father's cafe. However, her father is wary of Jun-yeong and warns Na-mi that something is not right – a conversation that Jun-yeong listens to through Na-mi's phone.

In response, Jun-yeong goes to Na-mi's father's home, tying up Na-mi's father and setting up camp for his surveillance. He begins to sabotage Na-mi's life, sending hurtful messages to get her fired and lose all her friends. Na-mi knows she's been hacked and calls Jun-yeong posing as the IT guy to help her.

At the same time, Ji-man and his partner find Jun-yeong's sketchy IT help centre. While there, they run into Na-mi who's returned to the shop due to smashing her phone out of frustration. The three agree to work together to catch Jun-yeong.

The killer receives a call from Na-mi and heads to her apartment. Ji-man and his partner wait outside to confront Jun-yeong when he arrives. But Ji-man doesn't recognise his son – which seems weird at the time, but it becomes clearer – and Jun-yeong retreats to Na-mi's father's house after seeing people are waiting for him.

Jun-yeong isn't at the house for long before Na-mi shows up. The police have dropped her there for safety, and asked her to contact them regularly to confirm she's still okay. Jun-yeong forces Na-mi to text the police, before tying her up and waterboarding her in the bathtub alongside her father. He takes a photo of Na-mi and makes it Na-mi's screensaver.

At that moment, Ji-man and his partner enter the house. Knowing that Jun-yeong was watching, Na-mi had handwritten a note to the police before leaving for the house: "No texts, only calls!".

Jun-yeong is caught and beaten by his father, but he's not really his father. Ji-man looks down at the smartphones and notes scattered on the floor – each one numbered according to the order in which Jun-yeong has killed his victims. He reaches down for the page numbered 0 and reads: "Shall I live as Woo Jun-yeong?"

Ji-man picks up the smartphone labelled 0 to find a screensaver of his son Jun-yeong tied up and tortured. That's right folks, Jun-yeong is dead and Ji-man only thought he was investigating his own son.

Jun-yeong had been estranged from his father for seven years not because they fell out, but because he was the killer's first victim, which also means the killer had been talking to Jun-yeong's mother pretending to be him. Now that's dark.

Unlocked is available to watch now on Netflix.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Wicked Little Letters’ on Netflix, A Twee Twentieth Century True Crime Tale in a British Town

Where to stream:.

• Wicked Little Letters
• olivia colman

‘The Bear’ Season 3 Episode 10 Recap: “Forever”

‘the bear’ season 3 episode 4 recap: “violet”, stream it or skip it: ‘the bear’ season 3 on fx/hulu, where the restaurant is open and carmy is even more of a mess, ‘the bear’ season 3 episode 1 recap: “tomorrow”.

Do you like true crime but can’t handle watching another murderer or other violent offender? Get your fix without edge in the nice British comedy Wicked Little Letters , now streaming on Netflix. As the adage goes, sticks and stones can break bones, but words? Well, maybe they can hurt people after all (just not physically).

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: In the small British town of Littlehampton, cloistered and conservative Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) provides an act of Christian charity by taking in a new resident who migrated from Ireland, the spunky and spirited Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). The two mix like oil and water as housemates, regrettably. Simmering resentment turns to outright animosity when Rose lashes out at a guest of Edith’s father Edward (Timothy Spall) at his birthday party. With their spat common knowledge among the townspeople, there’s an immediate suspect — or perhaps, a scapegoat — when Edith begins receiving a series of hateful letters laced with profanity.

But Rose being thrown in jail for the letter-writing campaign is where the story begins, not where it ends. There wouldn’t be much of a movie if the obvious culprit did the crime, after all, and she’s committed to clearing her name against the protestations of the local law enforcement community. With a few key allies, especially constable Gladys Moss (Anjana Moss), a real investigation based on evidence rather than hearsay gets underway to find the real culprit.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Think The Banshees of Inisherin ’s frenemy storyline filtered through the disposition and sensibilities of The Great British Baking Show .

Performance Worth Watching: Few joys compare to watching Jessie Buckley sink her teeth into a role. She brings the fullness of her rambunctious spirit and physicality to playing Rose, and her streak of Irish irascibility makes the character a fiery joy to watch bristle against her English surroundings.

Memorable Dialogue: “I’ve read everything in the papers,” tells Lolly Adefope’s Kate to Edith, “Congratulations on your tragedy.” It’s characteristic of the pithy remarks that define the movie’s refined sense of humor, even when discussing 

Sex and Skin: There are plenty of vulgar obscenities in the letter that refer to sex, but no actual sex in Wicked Little Letters . There’s a brief moment of Rose’s rear end when she moons the cops, but it’s not at all in a sexual context.

Our Take: No movie that puts Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley together can be entirely bad. But it should be better than Wicked Little Letters ends up being. Thea Sharrock’s film always feels a little too polite and gentle to make a real impact, pulling punches to avoid upsetting any viewer. Her primary concern seems to be ensuring that no one is upset by the film despite the true story touching on some upsetting topics, be they personal beefs or cultural taboos. Though Wicked Little Letters refers to some of the seismic developments shaking up their provincial existence from The Great War to the women’s suffrage movement, those are never explored beyond throwaway lines of dialogue.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Wicked Little Letters is not without its moments of pleasure and levity. Yet it never makes good on the promise of pitting Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley against each other, an enticing prospect after they played the same character in The Lost Daughter to Oscar-nominated effect. The movie is just too nice for its own good. If only these 1920s gals could settle their dispute like 2020s women and work it out on the remix .

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, The Playlist and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.

Watch Wicked Little Letters on Netflix

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Review: In a lockdown that resembles recent history, ‘Coup!’ stages a revolution born of pandemic

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As early as the end of 2020, a wave of films began to speak to the COVID-19 pandemic, either explicitly or unintentionally via the limits of their production. Some movies addressed the quarantine and lockdown and the way that our lives had changed. Others simply told stories with just a few people in a single location, which were easier to film safely.

But four years out, we’re getting work that articulates the 2020 pandemic by taking on another pandemic a century ago: the 1918 influenza pandemic. Written and directed by Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark, “Coup!” is a spritely class satire set during this era, though the issues it tackles feel all too timely, which is something all good period pieces should strive for.

One of the film’s antiheroes, Floyd ( Peter Sarsgaard ), speaks plainly as to what the 2020 pandemic taught us when he tells his employer’s wife, Julia ( Sarah Gadon ), “Nature has a way of creeping into the modern world, bringing out the beast in some and the beauty in others.” Many would agree that the turmoil and fear of the recent pandemic and lockdown revealed some of our basest human instincts and tendencies, in ways that we are still grappling with.

Floyd’s employer is Jay (Billy Magnussen), a wealthy trust-fund kid and proud muckraker. He’s holed up with his family and servants at their palatial estate on Egg Island, waiting out the pandemic while hammering out fiery newspaper columns demanding the government shut down businesses to protect the working class from the spread of influenza. We meet Floyd as he assumes another man’s identity and makes his way to the island to present himself as the Horton family’s latest personal chef.

But while Floyd cooks up vegetable-forward meals for the staunchly plant-based Jay, he also seizes the opportunity to foment rebellion among the household, beginning with the staff, a diverse group made up of a Black governess (Skye P. Marshall), a Turkish driver (Faran Tahir) and an Irish housekeeper (Kristine Nielsen). Floyd himself is a veteran of the Spanish-American War with a vaguely Louisiana accent; he has little patience for the rules of Jay’s home, especially when the lord of the manor is such an obvious hypocrite.

The writer rattles off missives condemning the Wilson administration and falsely claiming to be at the center of protests in New York City, all while ensconced in his luxurious isolation, waited on hand and foot. Floyd instantly chafes at the hierarchies imposed in Jay’s household, and when the island is cut off from ferries and grocery stores are closed, the mansion becomes dependent on its cook to provide. As the manor devolves into something like “Lord of the Flies,” our hedonistic interloper uses this opening to become a usurper.

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Sarsgaard and Magnussen are terrific actors who are skilled at what they do, and they do it here very well. The former excels at playing the earthy, sly, seductive trickster, the latter, the pompous, self-important rich boy. Gadon plays the feminine foil to both actors with ease.

Shot by Conor Murphy with a woodsy glow that evokes the luxury of the grand manor’s interiors (as well as a sepia-tinted vintage quality), “Coup!” shows off a richness and warmth that belies the cynical and cutting nature of the story. While a few extra characters are left at loose ends and therefore feel extraneous, those aren’t necessary for the communication of the central ideas of class warfare and hypocrisy. Anchored by its leads, “Coup!” is a tasty morsel of social commentary about problems that continue to plague our world.

Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

'Coup!'

Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes Playing: In limited release Friday, Aug. 2

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'Harold and the Purple Crayon' movie seldom colors outside the lines

Derivative expansion of the children’s book finds the hero growing up to be zachary levi and entering the realm of reality..

Now grown up, the boy from “Harold and the Purple Crayon” (Zachary Levi) brings his magical toy into the 3-D world in a new film adaptation.

Sony Pictures

“Harold and the Purple Crayon,” the famed 1955 children’s picture book, is getting the three-dimensional treatment nearly 70 years after its release.

The picture book, written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson, follows Harold, a child who can create whatever he can imagine, so long as he draws it with his magic purple crayon. The film adaptation opens with a short animated sequence that gives life to the book’s famous illustrations. But how far can a children’s picture book stretch across a 92-minute movie? Not very.

After the film gets through the book’s story in about a minute, the narrator says that the book’s ending was not the close of Harold’s story. Cut to an animated adult Harold, all grown up but still in a onesie, with his purple sketched friends, Moose and Porcupine, as they venture around their two-dimensional existence and wonder what goes on in “the real world.”

Harold (Zachary Levi) draws a door labeled “Real World” and walks through it. He’s then miraculously spit out in Providence, Rhode Island, as a “real” person. Moose and Porcupine, played by Lil Rel Howery and Tanya Reynolds, respectively, follow through the magical door shortly after. Together, they embark on a mission to find the book’s narrator and author — the “old man,” as they call him — to ask him why he created them and their story.

What we get from there is something that feels like a hybrid of characters played by Amy Adams in “Enchanted” and Will Ferrell in “Elf”: an adult person who left their animated or fantasy world and is incredibly unfamiliar with reality. It’s an entertaining idea to see someone so naive navigating everyday life, but it feels rather derivative.

Much like her character in “Elf,” Zooey Deschanel’s Terry is unenthused by our other-worldly protagonist’s antics for the better part of the movie. As the real-world mother of the young and creative Mel (Benjamin Bottani), Terry hits Harold and Moose with her car, and eventually lets them stay at her house.

Predictably, shenanigans ensue as Harold lacks understanding of how to behave as the adult everyone sees him as (and wreaks havoc with his magic crayon). Levi is terribly earnest as Harold, making his hijinks more endearing.

Director Carlos Saldanha, an animation veteran who helmed some “Ice Age” and “Rio” movies, keeps the story moving with light humor and fun visuals sprinkled throughout. The imaginative animation over the live-action shots is the movie’s highlight, as Harold can still create anything with his purple crayon in the real world. With more colors and dimensions to play with now, he draws everything from a plane they fly over Rhode Island to Mel’s imaginary pet, which is some sort of dragon-lizard hybrid.

The plot, again, feels familiar when we meet the villain, librarian Gary, who wants to wield the powers of the crayon to feed his self-serving interests. Gary (Jemaine Clement) uses the crayon to make the fantasy world of his failing book come to life so he can get “revenge” on the publishers who turned it down. As far as conflict goes, it falls a little flat, but it does result in a sweet lesson of empathy; Gary says he just wanted to be in a place where he can fit in and Harold, using the crayon for good, creates that world for him.

While much of the movie may feel well-worn, I’d wager many copies of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” have seen better days. It’s the kind of children’s book that’s stayed on shelves through multiple generations. Even if the book’s story has been told and the movie’s format has been done before, a movie that reminds us to be imaginative — and that delivers some imaginative visuals to boot — can’t really get old.

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Movie Review: In ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ the superhero movie finally accepts itself for what it is

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan, left, and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Morena Baccarin as Vanessa and Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

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If one thing is certain about “Deadpool,” it’s that its titular hero, for reasons never explained, understands his place in the world — well, in our world.

Indeed, the irreverent and raunchy mutant is sure to belabor his awareness of the context in which he lives — namely an over-saturated, increasingly labyrinthine multibillion-dollar Marvel multiverse which spans decades, studios and too many films for most viewers to count.

From its inception, the “Deadpool” franchise has prided itself a subversive, self-aware anti-superhero superhero movie, making fun of everything from comic books to Hollywood to its biggest champion, co-writer and star, Ryan Reynolds.

(20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

It’s no surprise then, as fans have come to expect, that the long-anticipated “Deadpool & Wolverine” further embraces its fourth wall-breaking self-awareness — even as it looks increasingly and more earnestly like the superhero movie blueprint it loves to exploit. That tension — the fact that “Deadpool” has called out comic book movie tropes despite being, in fact, a comic book movie — is somehow remedied in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which leans into its genre more than the franchise’s first two movies.

Perhaps this gives viewers more clarity on its intended audience. After all, someone who hates superhero films — I’m looking at you, Scorsese — isn’t going to be won over because of a few self-deprecating jokes about lazy writing, budgets for A-list cameos and the overused “superhero landing” Reynolds’ Deadpool regularly refers to.

But this time around, director Shawn Levy — his first Marvel movie — seems to have found a sweet spot. Levy is surely helped by the fact that the third film in the franchise has a bigger budget, more hype and, of course, a brooding, eventually shirtless, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine — who has long been teased as someone Deadpool has, er, complicated feelings toward.

That anticipation makes their relationship, packed with hatred, fandom and homoeroticism, all the more enticing. Their fight scenes against each other are just as compelling as their moments of self-sacrificial partnership in the spirit of, you guessed it, saving the world(s).

Speaking of worlds, there is one important development in our own to be aware of ahead of time. The first two “Deadpool” films were distributed by 20th Century Fox, whose $71.3 billion acquisition by the Walt Disney Co. in 2019 opened the door for the franchise to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, “Deadpool & Wolverine” takes full advantage of that vast playground, which began in 2008 with Robert Downey Jr.’s “Iron Man” and now includes more than 30 films and a host of television shows. The acquisition is also a recurring target of Deadpool’s sarcasm throughout the movie.

Although steeped in references and cameos that can feel a bit like inside baseball for the less devoted, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is easy enough to follow for the casual Marvel viewer, though it wouldn’t hurt to have seen the first “Deadpool” and Jackman’s 2017 “Logan,” a harbinger of the increasing appetite for R-rated superhero violence. The Disney+ series “Loki” also gives helpful context, though is by no means a must watch, on the Time Variance Authority, which polices multiverse timelines to avoid “incursions,” or the catastrophic colliding of universes.

A defining feature of “Deadpool” has been its R rating and hyper violent action scenes. Whether thanks to more money, Levy’s direction or some combination of the two, these scenes are much more visually appealing.

But “Deadpool & Wolverine” does succumb to some of the deus ex machina writing that so often plagues superhero movies. Wade Wilson’s (the real identity of Deadpool) relationship with his ex (?) Vanessa is particularly underdeveloped — though it’s possible that ambiguity is a metaphor for Deadpool’s future within the MCU.

The plot feels aimless at points toward the end. One cameo-saturated battle scene in particular is resolved in a way that leaves its audience wanting after spending quite a bit of time building tension around it. While there are a few impressive stars who make an appearance, audiences may be disappointed by the amount of MCU characters referenced who don’t make it in.

The bloody but comedic final fight scene, however, is enough to perk viewers back up for the last act, solidifying the film’s identity as a fun, generally well-made summer movie.

The sole MCU release of 2024, “Deadpool & Wolverine” proves it’s not necessarily the source material that’s causing so-called superhero fatigue. It also suggests, in light of Marvel’s move to scale back production following a pandemic and historic Hollywood strikes, that increased attention given to making a movie will ultimately help the final product.

“Deadpool & Wolverine,” a Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references. Running time: 127 minutes. Two and a half out of four stars.

‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ Review: They Should Have Gone Back to the Drawing Board

Crockett Johnson's beloved 1955 storybook becomes one more adaptation of a children's classic that swaps in formula for magic.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ Review: They Should Have Gone Back to the Drawing Board 9 hours ago
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The title character, played by the grown-up prankster Zachary Levi (huh? More on that in a moment), starts off as a cartoon figure living in a drawn world, kind of like the world of the books. But then, having been abandoned by his “old man” creator, he lands in the real world, and “Harold and the Purple Crayon” instantly converts to that quintessential formula: the fish-out-of-water comedy. It’s also one of those movies in which a live-action universe becomes the backdrop for an animated character like Garfield or Sonic. Except that the “character,” in this case, is simply the drawings that Harold does. Over the course of the movie, he draws a spare tire, a two-seater bike, pies and ice cream, skateboards and roller skates, a gleaming propeller plane, a giant lock and wrecking ball (to escape a prison), a griffin, and a spider-fly with vicious teeth.

Even young viewers of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” may feel they’ve seen versions of most of these effects before. For what made the book special wasn’t just that Harold could draw anything. It was the wide-eyed feeling with which he did it.

“Harold” the movie replaces wide eyes with audience-tested conceits, starting with the fact that someone thought Zachary Levi’s performance as a kid-inside-an-adult-superhero’s-body in the first “Shazam!” would somehow make him perfect to play Harold. But where Levi’s performance in “Shazam!” was sly and understated, here, walking around in what looks like the world’s weirdest Hawaiian shirt, he’s all gawky, eager, italicized-kid overacting. Harold has two animal sidekicks, both of whom appear in human form: Moose, played with antic glee by Lil Rel Howery , and Porcupine, who appears as a purple-mohawked punk played by the fiery Tanya Reynolds, who someone should waste no time casting in a Sinéad O’Connor biopic.

The director, Carlos Saldanha, a veteran of animation (“Rio,” the “Ice Age” films), stages the dramatic arcs in David Guion and Michael Handelman’s screenplay as if they were made of pasteboard. Harold and company befriend young Mel (Benjamin Bottani) and his widowed mother, Terry ( Zooey Deschanel , in one of those hardheaded-mom-who’s-the-only-sane-person-in-the-room roles). The kid has replaced his missing father with imaginary friends, and it’s the kick of Harold’s drawings that’s supposed to bring joy back to his life.

Reviewed at Sony Screening Room, New York, July 30, 2024. MPA Rating: PG. Running time: 92 MIN.

• Production: A Sony Pictures Releasing release of a Columbia Pictures, Davis Entertainment production. Producer: John Davis. Executive producers: Jeremy Stein. Jenny Hinkey.
• Crew: Director: Carlos Saldanha. Screenplay: David Guion, Michael Handelman. Camera: Gabriel Beristain. Editors: Mark Helfrich, Tia Nolan. Music: Batu Sener.
• With: Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Benjamin Bottani, Zooey Deschanel, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds, Alfred Molina.

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‘Kleo’ Review: Spy vs. a Lot of Other Spies

The archly humorous, high-body-count Netflix series about an ex-Stasi assassin is like “Killing Eve” with a more discernible heartbeat.

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By Mike Hale

“Killing Eve” went off the air in April 2022. “Kleo” came along four months later. The offbeat, darkly comic, cold-war-related spy thriller abhors a vacuum.

The German writers and producers Hanno Hackfort, Bob Konrad and Richard Kropf, who created “Kleo” for Netflix, evidently were not afraid of comparisons to the popular “Killing Eve,” which ran for four seasons on BBC America. Kleo Straub (Jella Haase), their East German protagonist, is a lethal assassin with a guileless pride in her abilities, reminiscent of Villanelle, the “Killing Eve” role that brought Jodie Comer an Emmy.

Kleo also comes with her own version of Sandra Oh’s Eve, here a West German cop named Sven Petzold (Dimitrij Schaad) — an operative from the other side who is obsessed with Kleo and whose on-and-off, cat-and-mouse, will-they-or-won’t-they relationship with her is the show’s emotional center. And the two series share a style: the spy caper as darkly humorous fairy tale, shifting between mordant, violent theatricality and mordant, goofy comedy.

But “Kleo,” whose second season premiered last week on Netflix , is its own show, and, depending on your taste, it might be the better of the two. It is lighter and more straightforward in its storytelling and its humor, but just as moving and involving. It doesn’t have the filigree of “Killing Eve,” the same degree of baroque inventiveness, but it is ingenious in its own more casual, more human way.

And it is less of a self-contained hall of mirrors than the earlier show; it benefits from being about something real, even if its relationship to history is stretched to the breaking point. Season 2 returns to the fraught period between the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification in 1990, with Kleo, the former off-the-books Stasi hit woman, still pursuing a personal mission of revenge that is somehow mixed up with the fate of the two Germanys.

The jokes, the suspense, the melodrama and the violent action of “Kleo” are all contained within a vivid portrait of post-fall Berlin. Everyone is quick to take advantage of the moral and political vacuum, from Thilo (Julius Feldmeier), the spectral techno-music junkie who becomes Kleo’s roommate and confidant, to all the Russian, American and East and West German spymasters who use her for their own purposes. The settings, in Berlin and other Central and Eastern European locales, are always visually absorbing, simultaneously candy colored and brutalist drab.

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