Bright

Hats off, it takes guts to shoot a film like this one. While Will Smith is a great choice for this role, this world was so crazy that it took me a while to accept that elves, ogres and god-knows-what exist in our real world. Somehow, for me, the Middle Ages would be a better fit for that than our time. However, I have to pay tribute to the creators. To shoot a film like this and not fall among the B-listed is a real challenge. (20/05/2019)

That "multiracial" world is definitely interesting and would certainly offer decent possibilities for building some wider universe in the future. Visually it's very high-level, simply kind of a slightly above standard Ayer film. It's just that script-wise it's so terribly simple and routine that all you really enjoy for the entire two hours is the setting (which is great and original) and the occasional wisecrack here and there. I can't say I was bored with it, because it's really good to watch. But the fact remains that a sober (strict) assessment will yield a visually attractive yet otherwise in almost all respects superficial and flat spectacle for the undiscerning viewer. (24/01/2019)

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. (21/03/2020)

David Ayer sometimes makes me happy sometimes not, here it's about halfway through. This mix of fantasy in our world is certainly interesting, but not exploited enough. Story-wise it's very flat, Ayer doesn't know how to work with suspense much, at least he has Will Smith and an unrecognizable Joel Edgerton. The action is very decent, the elven trio perform some nice acrobatic stunts and it's pretty brutal too, but I couldn't enjoy the film to the full, there was something here that distracted me and I can't figure out which one it was. Anyway, decent work for Netflix. 65%. (28/12/2017)

Detective films by Ayer are quite specific; he has a distinctive style that offers viewers a look at the darker sides of big cities, often in a way that can be chilling. Bright follows a similar system, except here you'll encounter not just humans (what a surprise), but also orcs, elves, and even a police centaur (that was the most impressive part for me; that detail was flawless). It's true that the introduction of this fantasy world is meticulous, wherein I liked the social hierarchy where each race holds a certain position on the ladder. Amidst this mix, a magical wand appears that can grant any wish, sparking a battle over it. That summarizes the film. Now, seriously, Will Smith can still deliver a decent quip, but Edgerton, disguised as an orc, somewhat overshadowed his colleague with his performance. Their collaboration and the dialogues between them were flawless. Noomi Rapace as the murderous elf was outstanding. However, I found the script a bit lacking, sometimes not working at full capacity, resulting in something that was hard to grasp. I also don't fully understand the budget; sometimes you get why it's $90 million, but often it feels like an expensive film with a TV aftertaste. Overall, it held together, the characters were well presented, and I could imagine a sequel because this world has huge potential. I give it 75%. (03/01/2018)