REVIEW: BRIGHT

3/5

Bad Orcs, Bad Orcs.

118 Mins. Starring: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Lucy Fry, Ike Barinholtz, Kenneth Choi, Edgar Ramirez & Noomi Rapace. Director: David Ayer.

It's going to be a 'Bright' Christmas this season for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But can the one-time 'I Am Legend' fall, "Lord of the Films" wrap orcs, fairies and other creatures of legend together with humans as well as he 90's mixed a Jazzy Jeff record scratched music career with the science fiction of zapping aliens his secret society welcomed to earth? Well here comes the man in black as a boy in blue and when there's a megastar Will Smith, you know there's a Hollywood way. One that can make this 'Bad Boys' meets 'End Of Watch' and everything this side of the shire work after throwing the book it was supposed to go by out. As to cop this buddy orc fairytale actually takes you out of fantastyland and into the gritty 'Sabotage' realism of working the downtown beat from the hood to the cruiser of the LAPD. F### furious, 'Fury' director David Ayer-who uses that mother lovin' word like puncuation in his brute mess films-reunites with 'Deadshot' Will Smith after their DC Batman villain guns for hire 'Suicide Squad' for an 'End Of Watch' style police partnership with a twist. There's no handheld camcorders to stringer document this procedure this time. Just a thousand year legend you'll have to see intermingle with us today to believe will fly like a fairy that looks nothing like Tink. "Fairy lives don't matter today" and apparantly neither does this movie according to "worst film of the year" scathing critics. But that cringe-inducing corny line that Smith still delivers on time like the mailman aside, 'Bright' is more illuminating than the critics putting it in the winter night give light of day credit for. As this buckshot and reload, seedy Los Angeles crimes night action is a hell of a red and blue flashing lights ride of enjoyable entertainment. Even if the "can't we all just get along" well intentioned message gets diluted in the Kool-Aid of some "oh yeah" too sugary for your teeth one liners. Turns out it's going to be a 'Bright' day as all is alright after all.

'Legend' had it that Will Smith Boxing Day movies would have patrons queing out the door and back again like he really was the last man on earth back in the day. Now this festive period you can just stream them instantly on Netflix at home or on your phone like all those Marvel shows, as Smith joins fellow big names this year like Brad Pitt's 'War Machine', Jackie Chan's 'The Foreigner', or Black Panther Chadwick Boseman's 'Message From The King' in going from the cinemax big-screen to one as small as up to the palm of your hand. But this is the future and the man who couldn't save a contrived but meant to be 'It's A Wonderful Life' meets 'Scrooge' classic Christmas movie 'Collateral Beauty' despite his charismatic best efforts is looking to downgrade the collateral damage to his A-list career on a minus report card. Even if that means dropping the charm for a more offensive arsenal alongside Ayer. The dynamo to dynamite director of rough around the edges cinematic scrapes that are either 'Fury' or 'End Of The Watch' game changing. Or like the maddeningly muddled 'Suicide Squad' or this right here. As Ayer gives the man with the nice clean raps (who even reunited with his D.J. Jazzy Jeff in the Las Vegas of the U.K. Blackpool of all places after Croatia this Summer for one hell of a show) a stereotypical streets of L.A. playground slapped with a parental advisory sticker and some epic content straight out of your childhood bedtime storybook. Ayer is the blunderbuss, Smith the steady hand. Making this movie somewhere between the precision of a sniper...or a machine gunner. And this pistol whipped quick draw in the end is good, not bad...even if at times it really is orc ugly. As when it comes to this city of fallen angels with dirty faces look, lit only by flickering neon reading, "X-X-X" Ayer's blunt force still hits home, despite the trauma. This graphic, comic-book violence has the makings of a cult, graphic novel.

Willing his way through it all. Whether Shrek's with bad teeth or elves with ears bigger than his, Officer Smith is a good cop despite the agent of change, 'Bad Boys' veneer. This is Mike Lowry, but beat after years on the job...yet still with that sense of humour as ammunition. Not to mention a pencil moustache Carlton would be proud of. Sure this is a far cry from the movie megastar millions, Smithsonian days of 'Independence Day' or 'I Robot'. Even those sci-fi to inspired ones of 'Hitch' or 'The Pursuit Of Happyness'. But yet just like the father/son trials of the critically scorched 'After Earth', or the not quite superhero 'Hancock' there's still a heart here. And the subtely soulful Smith (who don't forget only two falls back gave us his best Oscar worthy knockout since he played the greatest 'Ali' with the NFL brain injury tackling 'Concussion'...probably the most important sports movie of all time) can carry anything in this patrol of a formidably futuristic looking Los Angeles (even more so than in real life that still has those elements entwined like 'Lethal Weapon' Danny Glover's 'Predator 2' beat). Even partners that look like orc rejects from 'The Hobbit'. As riding Martin Lawrence shotgun to his bad cop/good orc 'Training Day' like ride is 'Warrior' and Academy 'Loving' worthy actor Joel Edgerton. The amazing Aussie who has been lighting it up since 'Midnight Special' is Jon Voight as Howard Cossell in 'Ali' unrecognisable here alongside Will. Almost looking like a Killer Croc 'Suicide Squad' reject riding shotgun. Yet still finds a way to the humanity of this creature and an aching heart behind all that hours in the chair make-up and snaggle teeth. Fellow countrywoman and 'Vampire Diaries' sucker Lucy Fry is also a shining standout despite the platinum blonde from down under looking like this is the third film Smith and Margot Robbie have done together since the slick 'Focus'...but that my friends is actually a con. This trio traverse an impressive cast including 'Neighbors' star Ike Barinholtz as a grubby cop you're not sure whether is dirty or not...but could sure use a wash round the ears and Marvel Howling Commando, come Spider-Man head teacher Kenneth Choi in almost what comes as a cameo. They're not the only talent grossly underused. As 'Gold', 'Point Break' actor Edgar Ramirez who probably only had a few days worth of shooting because he's in everything right now plays an elf on fleek (albeit one left on the shelf in the season of singing loud for all to hear). Whilst 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' and bleach blonde and blue contacts, 'Promethesus' star Noomi Rapace looks great as this movies villain but barely has a screenplay page worth of dialogue. It's a good job she plays practically everyone in her other Netflix film, because you'll be asking what happened to her lines like 'What Happened To January'?! But this is one movie you should definitly still stream too. A trademark rough and not quite ready David Ayer stunted piece of genius that merely needs a little more mastering, but is as engrossing as its flaws. With a clever concept that's saying something but still has plenty of Toyota and (and I quote) "titty bar' stunning shootouts in the chamber to numb any dull, preachy pretense. Call me Mr. Brightside but this cop patrol for a wand actually works Potter. For Smith all is 'Bright' like all is calm. What you gonna do? TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Suicide Squad', 'End Of Watch', 'Predator 2'.