As a seasoned movie buff with over two decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that “Carry-On” left me feeling a bit like a weary traveler lost in a generic airport terminal. While the chemistry between Taron Egerton and Liam Neeson’s digital doppelganger was undeniably captivating, the film seemed to lose its way in the chaos of an overly ambitious script.
In a manner similar to a battle-weary soldier rescued at the last moment, director Jaume Collet-Serra has emerged from the realm of high-budget movie production. Following his stint in the 2000s directing horror films for Warner Bros., Collet-Serra earned recognition in the 2010s by creating taut thrillers such as The Shallows, Non-Stop, and The Commuter. His productions were frequently enjoyable Saturday matinee flicks, with Run All Night (a standout from 2015 that showcased actor Joel Kinnaman’s best performance in a feature film) being one of my favorites. It was only natural for Hollywood to notice these skills and think, “This man is perfect for big-budget blockbusters featuring Dwayne Johnson!
Jaume Collet-Serra’s recent projects include “Jungle Cruise” and “Black Adam,” which leaned heavily on excessive CGI and had low dramatic tension. After redefining the DC Universe, he is now directing T.J. Fixman’s screenplay for “Carry-On.” However, his absence from this genre may have caused some erosion of skills honed during “Run All Night” production.
The story of “Carry-On” unfolds on Christmas Eve, as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent Ethan Kopek (played by Taron Egerton) and his pregnant wife Nora Parisi (Sofia Carson) both report for work at LAX. In the early scenes, Fixman’s script has a challenging task of portraying the tender bond between the two characters, using dialogue that seems more like exposition, such as “That was the last time you were excited about our future.” Additionally, there appears to be an inconsistency in Kopek’s character development. He is quickly introduced, and we see him interacting warmly with all his LAX colleagues, even knowing their names!
Despite repeated claims from his boss Phil Sarkowski (Dean Norris) that he’s idle and lacks ambition, Kopek seems more jovial than lazy. Arriving tardy for a meeting might seem arrogant and carefree to some, but it’s just the charming, albeit slightly cocky, demeanor of a movie hero who’s far from living a mundane existence!
Fortunately, the story progresses as Kopek discovers an earbud that he’s been told (through a text message) to insert into his ear, leading “Carry-On” into more intriguing scenarios. A voice belonging to The Traveler (Jason Bateman) then communicates with Kopek, revealing a significant task ahead. Today, an accomplice of The Traveler is expected to pass through the TSA line. Regardless of the contents in the man’s luggage, Kopek must allow him to proceed. Now, Kopek finds himself in a game of hide and seek with someone he can’t visibly see. Maintaining a composed demeanor, he struggles to find a way out of this predicament, becoming increasingly concerned as it becomes evident that The Traveler’s schemes could claim numerous innocent lives.
As a fan, I’m genuinely excited about Tom Hardy’s casting as Kopek, despite the slight uncertainty in his New Jersey/Los Angeles accent. Hardy, with his past roles like the first Kingsman movie, Eddie the Eagle, and Rocketman under his belt, has an everyman quality that feels authentic and believable. Unlike a chiseled and imposing figure like James McAvoy in Speak No Evil who exudes an air of intimidation, Hardy seems more like an underdog – someone who can’t just rely on his physical strength to overcome challenges. This ordinary quality is exactly what makes him a perfect fit for the lead role in a gripping thriller like this one.
Translating Bateman’s trademark smarmy voice to Carry-On equivalents to The Caller from Phone Booth is further smart casting. Even beyond the fun meta quality of Carry-On functioning as a movie where Michael Bluth torments an action movie star, the assuredness and world-weariness Bateman brought to everything from Zootopia to Air enhances the scariness of The Traveler. This guy always sounds like this is just another 9-to-5 exercise to him. Contrasting that smoothness with Egerton’s constantly frightened Kopek proves consistently engaging. Just watching the two of them trade barbs and navigating tense scenarios is enough for a great thriller.
Unfortunately, “Carry-On” struggles to maintain its action within boundaries, as a well-crafted thriller like “Rope” demonstrates that fewer settings make for a stronger story. For instance, the film “Trap” effectively utilized a single room setting to keep the audience engaged. However, the script for “Carry-On” frequently shifts focus from Kopek to various subplots, such as the police officer Elena Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) narrative thread. This is surprising because an actress of Deadwyler’s talent is rarely seen in forgettable supporting roles in movies like this one. It’s almost unbelievable that Daniel Day-Lewis would have a lesser role in “Unlawful Entry” following his first Oscar win for “My Left Foot”.
In the role, Deadwyler does her best, but the frequent scenes of police chasing a trail that ends up being The Traveler aren’t particularly engaging. On one hand, it resembles a plotline where viewers are already well aware of what the characters on screen have yet to discover, which can be less thrilling. Anticipating for Cole and his team to comprehend facts already known by the audience from the Carry-On’s prologue isn’t exhilarating. Moreover, Cole’s scenes are filled with routine banter with colleagues like Herschel (Josh Brener) concerning strawberry-flavored ho-hos. These worn-out jokes and dialogues might make you long to be back in the TSA line with Kopek instead.
The scenes showing officers moving about in ordinary office settings or well-lit crime scenes strongly emphasize the lackluster visual style seen in previous Carry-On productions. Even as recently as 2018’s The Commuter, director Jaume Collet-Serra opted to film his projects on 35mm film (similarly, Non-Stop and Run All Night were also filmed in this format). Regrettably, he has now ventured into the realm of Netflix Original Movies, where most films are shot digitally in a uniform style. Consequently, Carry-On is filmed in an overly clean manner that strips the production of its visual character. A scene early on featuring Cole and a coworker wandering a crime scene could easily be mistaken for a clip from Jupiter’s Legacy or numerous other Netflix series!
The issues aren’t limited to streaming problems or corporate troubles, but rather stem from the fact that this style of filming doesn’t suit a thriller. The visuals of Carry-On lack grittiness and authenticity. The Christmas Eve chaos at LAX seems artificial because every shot appears polished and suitable for a Tide advertisement. Composer Lorne Balfe, working with Collet-Serra again after Black Adam, provides a score that’s as unremarkable as the film itself. Neither the airport nor the holiday settings spark much original or tense music in his compositions, making Carry-On far less engaging than it could be due to its lack of uniqueness.
It’s good to see that Fixman’s storyline picks up speed again during the third act. As expected, the narrative focus narrows significantly here, enabling Collet-Serra to delve deeper into his knack for creating suspenseful thrillers. By the time Carry-On was about to touch down, I found myself genuinely annoyed with Kopek. Each instance where he lied to Nora or took the blame for The Traveler’s schemes filled me with a sense of exasperation. It seems this movie has managed to make me care about Kopek’s predicament to some extent. However, I couldn’t bring myself to support his dream of becoming a cop. Unfortunately, the ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) sentiment also applies to you, Kopek.
The movie “Carry-On” offers an unsettlingly choppy experience. Instead of smooth sailing, this film’s plotline (much like the ending of “The Commuter”) has a tendency to overextend itself unnecessarily. Despite intermittent bursts of humor during an action scene accompanied by “Last Christmas,” and the pleasant addition of Deadwyler, it’s clear that “Carry-On” could have been more effective with a tighter, more focused narrative style. Regrettably, the film falls short in terms of visual appeal and musical score compared to the most engaging thrillers. Fortunately, despite recent stints in Dwayne Johnson’s sterile blockbusters, Jaume Collet-Serra still manages to create entertaining thrillers, particularly when collaborating with actors like Egerton and Bateman. However, “Carry-On” tends to disappointingly mirror the director’s superior earlier works.
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2024-12-15 20:17