Red Notice: Return of the Fun Action Adventure Flick

Red Notice, which debuts simultaneously on Netflix and in select theaters, was not a film I held out much hope for. Sure, it featured an outstanding cast of three of my favorite actors -- Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds -- but it didn't have "blockbuster" vibes.

And while it's not going to win any nods from "The Academy," Red Notice will certainly get the recognition from the only crowd that matters: the audience. From the opening scene, the viewer is taken on a full-throttle roller-coaster ride of action and adventure, humor and heists. It's a buddy movie where the two are not even friends. It's an On The Road... picture with more explosions and chase scenes. In short, it's worth the watch, and worth the re-watch.

John Hartley (Johnson) introduces himself to the audience as FBI Special Agent John Hartley, hot on the trail of the world's second-best art thief, Nolan Booth (Reynolds). At stake are three priceless objets d'art -- the three eggs of Cleopatra, of which only two have been discovered. Booth is after them -- but so is his rival, Bishop (Gadot). Bishop is the one who sent Hartley after Booth as a tip, but then proceeds to frame Hartley for the theft as an accomplice. Locked in the same cell as Booth, Hartley and Booth devise a plan to escape and beat Bishop to the remaining eggs -- the third one of which only Booth knows the hidden location!

What ensues is a world-spanning game of cat-and-mouse, with boldly-acknowledged nods to films like Casino Royale and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's simply fun from beginning to end, full of twists both predictable (yet satisfying) and surprising. If you are already a Netflix subscriber, head on over there now and queue this one up. You won't be disappointed.