Lift 2024 Review: A Candid Review of Netflix’s “Lift”

Lift 2024 Review: In the realm of cinematic missteps, imagine tethering your film to a plot entangled in the outdated intricacies of NFTs or subjecting your audience to a character’s awkward exposition on the subject. Regrettably, Netflix’s latest offering, Lift, manages to achieve both. Led by Kevin Hart and a familiar ensemble of faces, the movie unfolds like a cynical fusion of a late-era Fast & Furious installment and a mid-2000s European heist flick.

Lift 2024 Review

F Gary Gray, the seasoned Hollywood director behind this venture, previously helmed The Italian Job and The Fate of the Furious. While the former was a joyous caper, the latter stumbled amidst on-set conflicts. Gray’s recent foray, Men in Black: International, met an untimely demise. Lift’s fate remains uncertain, mirroring Gray’s tumultuous journey in the film industry.

Hart, portraying suave thief Cyrus Whitaker, reluctantly embarks on a high-stakes mid-air heist for Interpol. Despite Lift’s CGI-heavy sequences, including green screen backdrops that resemble living rooms, Gray injects a tactile quality into the Airbus A380 setting. However, the allure dissipates with distracting computer-generated aerial acrobatics.

Jean Reno, cast as the villain, exudes minimal energy, appearing detached from the film’s controlled environment. The plot’s murkiness is overshadowed by characters intermittently shouting about saving the world, providing a shaky narrative crutch.

In an unexpected casting choice, Hart assumes the straight-man role, a departure from his comedic forte. Perhaps influenced by his role as a producer, this decision seems mismatched, akin to casting Bruce Willis in a ’90s role. Sam Worthington’s brief appearance adds little substance, echoing the film’s struggle to transcend formulaic Netflix productions.

Lift’s romantic subplot feels as uninspired as its climactic showdown’s chroma work. The potential excitement of an A380 landing in the Swiss Alps is marred by the absence of authentic landscapes. The film’s premise, revolving around greed, raises questions about its motivation.

While some cast members embrace the absurdity, particularly Vincent D’Onofrio and Billy Magnussen, the overall endeavor appears questionable. Beyond entertainment, Lift seems driven by a profit-driven agenda rather than a genuine creative impulse.