Ok, so i just got finished watching the Netflix original movie "Bright". You might be asking why would a game store be reviewing a movie. Well, most people may not know this but it has a very similar look and feel the FASA game called Shadowrun from way back in the 80's and 90's. Now it is made by a company call Catalyst. Shadowrun is a sci-fi meets fantasy Role-playing game with humans , orcs, elves and other fantasy creatures in a near futuristic world. Most of the game was set in Seattle in the year 2050. So i just had to watch it.
On to the movie. First let me say the characters are well written and diverse. Will Smith plays a cop named Daryl Ward who has the first orc police officer as his partner played by Joel Edgerton as Jakoby an unwelcomed cop to the police force and a traitor to the orcs. Lucy Fry Plays "tikka" a Blight that comes into a possession of a powerful magic wand. Thats about where i will stop giving to much details away because it would kind of ruin the film for you.
What i will say, is this movie was a pleasant surprise, i can not think of one film like it i have ever seen before. Sure on the surface its like any other cop movie right, fight the bad guy. But nothing can really prepare you for the world you will be seeing. Sure its L.A. but definitely not the L.A. we know. This is what caught me the most out of the whole movie, the stage is just so new and fresh of an idea and the look and background of the different races is stunning. Its was awesome to see these different races mix with each other. Good and bad people from all races which is great for the storytelling.
Acting, Overall the acting was great, Jakoby was a little lackluster on this end but i thought it added to the mix very well. Sort of the "if everything is special, nothing is" mind set. I do not feel that the actor did a bad job so much as the role was limited for good reason.
CGI, I thought the graphics was right in line with any major movie maker, but i think netflix really did not overdue it like i see all to often in movies these days. (Wonder Woman, Gaurdians 2) I would have to say it was the perfect amount.
The story, was ok. I don't feel it was stellar or weak but somewhere right in the middle. So i would have to rate it as maybe the weakest part of the movie. But please keep in mind its not bad just standard. Character development was just slightly better, they do not start off very strong, but they fill you in as the story goes along so by the end you have a pretty good feeling of who they are and the motives that drive them. I wish the races would have had an opening story or narration. I found it a little odd to see all these races in L.A. without knowing how they came to be there, but like i said they explain a little about it as the film goes on.
Overall i would like to give this Movie 6 out of 10 stars, but the world and races were such a different concept and the director painted them masterfully. You feel as you could almost drive to L.A. and see them right now if you wanted. Nothing was to overplayed in the whole movie so i am bumping the score up to 8 out of 10 stars based on that, and the fact i dont see anything else like it anywhere. (maybe V the old TV show fans will like this one a lot)
My favorite part is the look of the different races especially the elves.
Good Job Netflix, i am very very impressed.
http://xuka.tv/tv/by-genre/action/bright-2017-15023.html?type=movies