Bright

Everything is fine about the idea. Urban fantasy, social metaphor, Nigga/Orc buddy chemistry ... even Ayer's directing decision to put it in a realistic tone a la Patrola is good. However, the execution is this case is not very good. After a promising quarter of an hour, it turns into an absurd show of clichés and dysfunctional props without any rhythm or satisfactory tension, which Will saves with his one-liners. The action is cumbersome and makes you yawn. The story is reminiscent of the worst from Underworld. Edgar Ramirez is probably the most absurd face since Travolta and Whitaker had whiskers in Battlefield Earth. There is little mythology to be seen, and what ended up in the film, feels retarded. I don't want to call it a blockbuster because of a few parlor tricks and the A cast. Golden Spectral. (12/23/2017)

Bright is a bizarre, entertaining genre hybrid that surprisingly manages to maintain a little dignity. The social issues of minorities, class-based society and racism addressed in the first half are presented decently, and Edgerton’s orc character is the movie’s best feature. In the second half, we get to see demons, a magic wand everybody wants and the threat of enslavement of the world by a potentially coming dark overlord. And, of course, some kung fu, torture and gunfights. Futuristic sci-fi, social drama and crazy fantasy with a hint of buddy cop comedy. I wouldn’t say that it’s a pity Ayer kept it only slightly above average, but rather a miracle. (05/15/2019)

If it wasn't for the supernatural world full of magic, Bright would be just a generic film about cops fighting criminal gangs that also deals with racial issues. It's a pity that they didn't make exploit more the magical potential that hovered over this project. In terms of action and suspense, the film works, but on the other hand there are a lot of flat jokes that fizzle out as soon as they are uttered. The visuals are nice, and the soundtrack perfectly underscored the dirty streets setting, but I still felt that more could have been made of it. (03/20/2020)

“We're not in a prophecy, okay? We're in a stolen Toyota." This enjoyable action crime comedy is set in a fantasy alternate reality and it's actually a good thing that the fantasy doesn't draw attention to itself that much, and it's still mostly about the story. Although I'm not saying that I wouldn't want to see the mounted police of centaurs in action or that I don't care more about the dragon circling over the city. But so what? Will Smith is excellent and I liked watching him again in the most proven acting position, and Ayer's direction is brisk and there's no time for any boredom. Admittedly, I'd like to explore that whole world, but on the other hand, it didn't seem unutilized to me like, say, in R.I.P.D. - luckily, it was much closer to Men in Black and Hellboy. (03/09/2019)

On the one hand, I thought this was original as hell, but on the other hand, the creators definitely didn't manage to get the most out of the world they present here. How the character of Jacoby is going to end up is clear from the start, Will Smith does what he always does, and Noomi is woefully underused. The potential here was much greater. (03/02/2018)