The heist caper revolves around the Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s three bejewelled eggs, given to her by the Roman statesman Mark Antony on their wedding day – two of which were later found. One remains missing.
In the present day, FBI agent John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) receives information about the potential theft of one of the eggs from a Rome museum, and lies in wait for Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds), a charming art thief, to catch him red-handed.
But, as luck would have it, the egg escapes both Booth’s and Hartley’s grasps and ends up in the hands of The Bishop (Gal Gadot), herself an elusive art thief.
Booth is thrown into prison. Hartley, suspected of being a conspirator, also ends up behind bars.
There, they are taunted by The Bishop, who calls Booth the “second-best art thief in the world” – she being the first – and proposes to him that they work together to find the elusive third egg. Booth declines.
When The Bishop leaves in search of the second egg, currently in possession of a notorious arms dealer, Hartley suggests he and Booth work together to beat her. That way Hartley can put her behind bars where she belongs, and Booth can claim the spot in the world of art thievery.
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And so it comes to pass that an unlikely and reluctant partnership is formed. The duo escape from prison and embark on an adventure to retrieve the second egg and find the third one – all the while evading The Bishop and Interpol, who are hot on their tails.
That’s the plot, in a nut – or egg – shell.
Written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (“Central Intelligence”, “Skyscraper”), “Red Notice” is a fun, light, and entertaining watch with plenty of action. The chemistry between Reynolds and Johnson steals the limelight, with their barrage of witty one-liners.
Watching them spar, physically or otherwise, one can’t help but think of a dysfunctional sibling relationship. Johnson, all serious and broody, is the mature older brother who has to “babysit” his baby bro.
Reynolds – wonderful as always – is the pesky, bratty one who, despite yourself, will end up winning your heart. Truly he is the MVP of the trio – annoying yet very much endearing – and you can’t help but root for him.
Gadot complements the gentlemen well by keeping them on their toes, and it is interesting to see “Wonder Woman” playing a villain. Ritu Arya, of “The Umbrella Academy” fame, also features as Interpol’s Inspector Das.
If there is one downside, it’s that most of the fight scenes appear too choreographed, coming across as a perfectly rehearsed dance at times, which takes the fun out of the action scenes.
Also notable is that critics have been harsh with this movie: only 35% out of 155 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have been positive.
And yet, the film has a 92% audience score from more than 100 verified ratings – highlighting the difference between the opinions of audience and critics.
Overall, “Red Notice” has plenty of suspense, stunning locations, and a talented cast that’s not hard on the eye, making it an enjoyable watch – even if Ed Sheeran does make a surprise appearance at the end.
‘Red Notice’ is currently streaming on Netflix.