6 Underground: A Review of a Review

I remember, back in the day of newspapers, turning to see the NOW SHOWING IN THEATERS page and reading over the reviews of current films. You’d often see a star rating or even a thumbs up/down rating. I never allowed myself to depend on those reviews because my interests are not always aligned with the majority. And that’s okay. To this day, I still prefer to watch a film and determine my personal scoring of the film. Sometimes, the dreaded happened and I’d be disappointed that I’d wasted my time and my money on a film. Not too often though. Even poorly made movies, I’d usually be able to find something to take away from the film. As a creative myself, I absorb minute details from even the worst of films, books, music, ect and pick and choose what and how I can use to benefit my own creative skills.

Karen Han of Polygon wrote a review for 6 Underground with Ryan Reynolds as the lead protagonist. This is my review of her review. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, of course. So this is me, expressing my right to my opinion.

I did not find the movie ‘utterly joyless’ as Karen stated. For the most part, I enjoyed the film. I mean, I watched it through entirely and never felt the urge to walk away from it. I don’t quite understand where she came up with the premise of ‘what if superheroes, but real life?’ statement. I didn’t get the feel from any of the leading cast that they were trying to be superheroes. I got the sense that they were just fed up with all the evil and the wrong in the world and decided to (even though illegally) take action and try to balance the scales a little.  I don’t feel like the men and women who serve our country in the military consider themselves ‘superheroes’. I would definitely classify them as heroes for all they do, but not superheroes. There’s no magic or fantasy in what they do. Nor was there any magic or fantasy in Ryan Reynolds character or his team.

I appreciated Karen’s listing of each cast members specific skillset, but what about the psychological side of the characters. They are human. They each have flaws, a past that they can’t forget, no matter if they are ghosts in the world or not.

When ‘Six’ is replaced by the soldier, penned ‘Seven’ (Corey Hawkins), I did get kinda confused because I was eager to see the handsome man behind the wheel of a flashy car as James Franco had done in the beginning. Man, I loved seeing Franco doing some major ‘Fast and Furious’ stuff and dang! what happened to him was awful! Such a big name (in my book, at least) only to go out so early. But anyway, back to Hawkins. I loved the raw and emotional story line. Still, confusion as to why he was chosen since they needed a driver…

I certainly agreed with Karen that the majority of the cast were one-dimensional to a small degree. But in my opinion, that one dimensionality (did I just make up a word?) pertained to their past. I felt like the film did a decent job helping me connect to the characters by engaging in love-scenes, showing quirks and passions, and the growth of the ‘Cleaver’ family throughout entire film.

I feel like that Coup in Turgistan was just a sub-plot. The main flowing plot line was all about what it means to be alone in the world, to detach from everyone and everything, and how much that truly costs them. I mean, don’t you, the reader, ever feel like ‘man, this world has gone to shit, so much ugliness and hate, I wish I could just leave it all behind and find paradise’? Truly, why do you think we have an opiod crisis? Why do you think there’s been a 33% increase in suicides since 1999 (U.S Suicide Rates are the Highest They’ve Been since WW II, Jamie Ducharme, Time magazine, June 20, 2019) It’s because we want to get away from all the bad shit in our lives. And this film’s underlying message is, to me, Family, blood or not, can help you survive all that worldly crap, and if the family has it in them to make a change for the better, it can be done.

Karen digs on the film by stating, ‘It’s so overloaded with incoherent action scenes and cringingly flat dialogue.” I’ll admit there were a few times I wanted to fast forward during all the action scenes. I don’t know if everybody would agree that it’s overloaded, though. Some people watch it specifically for all that action. I mean, I’m the type of person who will fast forward through a fight scene with Jackie Chan because there’s just sooo much. And Chan is the man! Still there are others who are all in the moment, living it scene by scene and thrive on it. Again, to each their own. And as for the scene that is entirely people quoting movie lines, that’s real life in my life. I do that all the time with my kids and my clients. I mean, just yesterday a client and myself quoted the entire script from the cartoon Bravest Warriors (Marry Me, Rebecca!) So that scene didn’t bother me at all.

I’m not sure what they hype is about blasting film sponsors. Even my husband does this! Please understand-if you want to have the opportunity to enjoy movies, they must be paid for to be created. Those sponsors help make that happen.

I didn’t find anything ‘boring’ about the ‘bad-ass good guy’ and the ‘bad guy’. Every creative knows that all art is chewed up, reworked, retold, and made (hopefully) fresh. (Romeo and Juliet, Gnomeo & Juliet, West Side Story, 10 Things I Hate about You, She’s the Man, Get Over It, ect.) So what’s the big deal about another version of Good vs Bad?

Spoiler Alert:

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I love how the characters finally break out of the mode of anonymity and finally begin to live their lives. And it all starts with sharing their names. That sets the course for some major psychological changes which lead to actually feeling blessed with what they have. My creative side is already visioning how Reynolds illegitimate son finds his inheritance and begins his own ‘make the world a better place’ journey.

Cheers!