A small group of would-be terrorists who are rejected by a larger terrorist group decide to hatch a plan of their own. Now there are a lot of ways this premise could go wrong. Indeed, it’s dicey stuff. Terrorism itself should probably not be portrayed in a lighthearted and funny way. And it would be easy to steer this film in the direction of harmful cultural stereotypes in the hopes of some cheap laughs. But thankfully, Four Lions avoids both of these major pitfalls.
Most of the comedy is derived at the expense of the would-be terrorists, whose internal bickering, ineptitude at planning, and contradictory values set them apart as a truly pathetic bunch of fools. And as fools, they entertain. Laughs abound, but are punctuated by occasional dark moments of quiet contemplation, particularly when serious mistakes truly cost the protagonist and what they are doing really sinks in.
Of course, this movie is not for everyone. If you’re put off by the premise, skip it. Or if you’re not amused by bumbling fools failing at nigh cartoonish evil-doing.
On the other hand, if watching inept terrorists trip over their own shoelaces for ninety minutes seems like a good time to you, give it a watch. It’s a reasonably good version of what’s advertised.
Content warning: violence towards humans and animals
Plot: 6
Characters: 6
Themes: 6
Spectacle: 6
Overall score: A real bustblocker.
See better reviews at:
Comentários