3/5 Blackhat We have seen terrorist movies in just about every shape and form they come in; and while Blackhat is not the first one to deal with cyber terror, it certainly feels like one of the few that could be going on right now at this moment in time. What I can not see going on at this moment is a hacker that looks like People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. With that in mind, let’s dig in. Like yesterday’s entry Mortdecai, Blackhat is a globetrotter. In great fashion, the thriller takes us from Chicago to L.A. to Hong Kong and finally, Jakarta. All of this traveling is in pursuit of a cyberterrorist who is getting a big kick out of blowing up nuclear reactors and stealing a lot of cash. Who’s going to stop such a bad cat? That would be Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth sporting a chewy American accent that works at least most of the time. Hemsworth plays Nick Hathaway, a incarcerated hacker who has been granted furlough by a team of American and Chinese agents (Viola Davis, Leehom Wang, and Wei Tang) to break a code that only he is smart enough to crack. It sounds like well-trod ground, and it is mostly, but the film also has Michael Mann behind the camera. Mann has not made a film since 2009’s Public Enemies, but Blackhat has more in common with earlier films like Collateral. Like that 2004 Tom Cruise vehicle, Blackhat seems to take place mostly at night time in large cities. The bird’s-eye-view transition shots that show shadowy skyscrapers speckled with lights could have been used interchangeably between the two movies. | Director: Michael Mann Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis Writer: Morgan Davis Foehl |
This is where the problems start to seep through the stylish exterior. Blackhat too often feels like a movie directed by someone trying to imitate Mann’s style. The film’s overlong first half is filled with exposition and dialogue that lacks the reflective nature of Mann's earlier work. The cinematography and the pacing both have that signature Mann sheen, but the whimpering heart at its center gives it away as a fake. Except it’s not; this is Michael Mann.
It is not until the vastly superior second half that you start to recognize the man who made Heat and Miami Vice. It feels so reductive to call this an action movie, but Blackhat truthfully works best when it is throwing you in the midst of one of its thrilling shootouts. The action is wonderfully shot and feels alive, and it’s the action that ultimately won me over. To be honest, the human connections do not feel authentic until the adrenaline gets to pumping. The relationship between Nick and Tang’s Chen Lien, the brotherly bond of Nick and Wang’s Chen Dawai, and the maternal nature of Davis’ character never feel more intimate than when the stakes are high.
This seems like a good enough place to talk about the performances a bit. For the most part, it’s impressive. Even when believability is stretched thin with the casting of Hemsworth, the Australian actor always manages to keep up with the story’s demands. The two Asian stars, Wang and Tang, are not well known in Hollywood, but both actors make a strong case for why they should be. Lastly, I would have to give best-in-class to Oscar and SAG-winner Viola Davis. Davis has been on fire lately with her role in the hit series How to Get Away With Murder, and she continues that winning streak here.
I would suggest Blackhat for its third-act highwire suspense, most notably the climax that takes place in the midst of a religious parade. It will not be remembered as the best film of anyone involved, but that does not mean you should ignore it. If you have 133 minutes to spare - believe me, I know that’s rare -, there are worse ways to spend your time.
It is not until the vastly superior second half that you start to recognize the man who made Heat and Miami Vice. It feels so reductive to call this an action movie, but Blackhat truthfully works best when it is throwing you in the midst of one of its thrilling shootouts. The action is wonderfully shot and feels alive, and it’s the action that ultimately won me over. To be honest, the human connections do not feel authentic until the adrenaline gets to pumping. The relationship between Nick and Tang’s Chen Lien, the brotherly bond of Nick and Wang’s Chen Dawai, and the maternal nature of Davis’ character never feel more intimate than when the stakes are high.
This seems like a good enough place to talk about the performances a bit. For the most part, it’s impressive. Even when believability is stretched thin with the casting of Hemsworth, the Australian actor always manages to keep up with the story’s demands. The two Asian stars, Wang and Tang, are not well known in Hollywood, but both actors make a strong case for why they should be. Lastly, I would have to give best-in-class to Oscar and SAG-winner Viola Davis. Davis has been on fire lately with her role in the hit series How to Get Away With Murder, and she continues that winning streak here.
I would suggest Blackhat for its third-act highwire suspense, most notably the climax that takes place in the midst of a religious parade. It will not be remembered as the best film of anyone involved, but that does not mean you should ignore it. If you have 133 minutes to spare - believe me, I know that’s rare -, there are worse ways to spend your time.