Bright has an amazing title sequence, using graffiti and posters to sketch out a contemporary Los Angeles where fairies and elves are real and Orcs are an oppressed race dealing with humans who fear and hate them. It's a densely packed sequence that promises something really cool.
The early part of the movie does a nice job of world building. Will Smith is a human cop forced to partner with the first Orc cop, who is hated by the entire department. Unlike our world where race is a constructed artifice, here race is very specific, and humans are all one. So Will is a mildly racist human who never experienced the anti-black racism of the real world.
We also get to see Will murder a fairy, which is basically a flying rat in humanoid form.
In this world magic exists, and certain individuals known as "brights" are able to wield magic wands, which will destroy anyone else who touches them. Will and Orc come across a scene of magical slaughter and find a young elf woman who has a wand. The lure of magic is strong, and the movie becomes a hectic run from magic-desiring cops and thugs, as well as the wand's original fairy owner, whose gang is an unstoppable force of murderous gymnasts.
To put it more simply, Bright is a mismatched/buddy cop movie (with a twist) involving a night of mayhem. It's predictable, shallow, and has some fun action sequences and light, somewhat amusing banter.
The critics hated this movie, but I'd say it's pretty standard as buddy-cop movies go. Lethal Weapon and 48 hours, big hits the critics like better than Bright, seem equally dopey. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than either of those "classics."
But I can't help but wish the movie had followed the path set by its title sequence, with more attention paid to the racism of a society that has actual races.
Also, why are all the thugs black? I mean, it's a world where presumably humans see themselves as one race, so why would poor neighborhoods have so few white people in them? It suggests that the premise wasn't really carefully thought out.
Anyway, Bright is fine. It's not the end of the world if you miss it, but it's got some fun stuff in it.
The early part of the movie does a nice job of world building. Will Smith is a human cop forced to partner with the first Orc cop, who is hated by the entire department. Unlike our world where race is a constructed artifice, here race is very specific, and humans are all one. So Will is a mildly racist human who never experienced the anti-black racism of the real world.
We also get to see Will murder a fairy, which is basically a flying rat in humanoid form.
In this world magic exists, and certain individuals known as "brights" are able to wield magic wands, which will destroy anyone else who touches them. Will and Orc come across a scene of magical slaughter and find a young elf woman who has a wand. The lure of magic is strong, and the movie becomes a hectic run from magic-desiring cops and thugs, as well as the wand's original fairy owner, whose gang is an unstoppable force of murderous gymnasts.
To put it more simply, Bright is a mismatched/buddy cop movie (with a twist) involving a night of mayhem. It's predictable, shallow, and has some fun action sequences and light, somewhat amusing banter.
The critics hated this movie, but I'd say it's pretty standard as buddy-cop movies go. Lethal Weapon and 48 hours, big hits the critics like better than Bright, seem equally dopey. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than either of those "classics."
But I can't help but wish the movie had followed the path set by its title sequence, with more attention paid to the racism of a society that has actual races.
Also, why are all the thugs black? I mean, it's a world where presumably humans see themselves as one race, so why would poor neighborhoods have so few white people in them? It suggests that the premise wasn't really carefully thought out.
Anyway, Bright is fine. It's not the end of the world if you miss it, but it's got some fun stuff in it.