Lift review: Kevin Hart leads fun but forgettable heist hi-jinks

❘ Published: 2024-01-12T02:01:00

Netflix

F. Gary Gray’s Lift takes off with a stellar cast led by Kevin Hart. Yet despite the charismatic ensemble, the movie’s action-heist formula struggles to soar above the familiar tropes of the genre, failing to break free from the Netflix norm. Here is our review.

F. Gary Gray is no stranger to the heist genre. Though his most memorable work might have arrived with his 1995 directorial debut Friday, he later ventured into blockbuster territory, going on to helm the 2003 remake of The Italian Job. Given the staunch fanbase of the 1969 original, Gray kept it easy and breezy while bringing on the talents of Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg, paying enough homage to keep the die-hards happy.

Though Gray, who started out his directing career as an acclaimed music video creator, earned another win with the 2015 biographical NWA drama Straight Outta Compton, his last feature – Men in Black: International – floppity-flopped its way in and out of the box office in 2019.

The film failed to revive the franchise by committing a cardinal sin: it forgot to have fun. So, what about Gray’s new feature, Lift? It certainly sounds promising: a strong cast led by Kevin Hart, a franchise-free plot, and high-stakes action, all of which is subsidized by Netflix’s deep pockets. But while it has its moments, Lift is a predictable ride, one you’ve taken many times before.

Lift takes a mindless, formulaic approach

Dramatic string music morphs into a hip-hop beat as we’re plunged into the Venice skyline, but before we get a better look at the elaborate architecture and Venetian masks, text across the screen lets us know where we are. If that weren’t clear enough, a host tells our protagonist Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart): “Welcome to Venice.” He’s in Venice, in case you hadn’t guessed.

This should give you some indication as to the tone of Lift and scribe Daniel Kunka’s writing style: it’s officially safe to switch your brain off. As Cyrus enters a lavish, packed hall, he and his crew inconspicuously interact via earpiece, their communication style consisting of quippy one-liners. “The champagne’s on ice, so let’s wrap this up,” says getaway (boat) driver Camila (Ursula Corbero).

Whip-smart techspert Mi-Sun (Yun Jee Kim) waits confidently in the auction hall, letting Cyrus and Co know they’re about to make some big cash. The auction begins as we learn about the pièce de résistance and the reason why they’re there: N8 (Jacob Batalon), a Banksy-esque artist, is selling a high-value NFT (how modern).

The bidding’s about to commence, at which point we’re introduced to a series of Interpol agents led by Abby Gladwell (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). They too are watching from the sidelines, with a number of local police on the ground. “If Cyrus tries to swipe anything, he’s in for a surprise,” says Abby, who soon learns that 1) he is one step ahead and 2) soon enough, she’ll have to team up with the target to stop the real villain of Lift.

Consider this NFT caper as the amuse-bouche to a much larger heist, one that bears all of the trademarks you’d expect from the genre. The dastardly Lars Jorgensen (Jean Reno), one of the high points of Lift, is a nefarious threat, one who enlists the help of fallen hackers to generate chaos and allow him to profit from his short positions – even if it kills millions of people in the process.

Kevin Hart as Cyrus, Billy Magnussen as Magnus, Vincent D'Onofrio as Denton, Úrsula Corberó as Camila, Yun Jee Kim as Mi-Sun, Viveik Kalra as Luke and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Abby in Lift

Abby, Cyrus, and his crew of geniuses, each with their own cute yet pedestrian quirks, must intercept the plan by lifting Jorgensen’s payment – $500 million in gold – from a passenger plane. Yes, mid-air fight sequences follow, with a few unexpected surprises along the way. But for the most part, what you see is what you get when it comes to Lift. It’s an action-heist we’ve seen done better a million times before with genuine laugh-out-loud moments far and few between.

However, it’s this formulaic approach that has secured so many Netflix Original success stories in the past. Much like many of the films released on the streaming giant in recent years, it casts a wide net in terms of audience appeal. This isn’t the butt-numbing, nuanced cinema seen in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, nor is it the lucious, repulsive, darkly satirical musings of Saltburn.

Even compared with its heist counterparts – from the kidult fun of Ocean’s Eleven to the touching true story told by The Duke – Lift doesn’t do much to set itself apart from the rest. But its mindless, easy entertainment will no doubt see the film holding rank in the Netflix top 10 chart for a few weeks.

A talented cast leads TV-dinner-movie fodder

Given the genre it’s working within and the 40,000-feet setting, you can expect some mid-air brawls and action sequences. But the frantic camerawork and heavy CGI generate little-to-no tension in these moments. Lift’s key selling point has to be the cast, their charisma shining through even with such an on-the-nose script.

Though the chemistry between our leading duo isn’t quite there, the pair breathe life into their respective roles. Mbatha-Raw commands her scenes with presence and conviction, while Hart injects his trademark humor while demonstrating his ability to get serious. D’Onofrio also has fun as Cyrus’ master of disguise Denton, bringing wit and charisma in spite of the script. A personal highlight is Reno as the dastardly Jorgensen, who has proven since 1994’s Leon his ability to bring a character to life with his facial expressions alone.

It’s almost criminal how little Reno is utilized, and the same can be said for Worthington, who gets minimal screentime – although for the scenes he is in, the Avatar star is utterly believable as Abby’s Interpol boss. Mercifully, this does mean Lift doesn’t suffer in terms of pacing. Unlike some of Netflix’s overstretched action sagas (*cough FUBAR cough*), the film maintains a tight 95-minute runtime, avoiding unnecessary meandering.

The ending wraps up all of the loose ends, even if Cyrus himself has to spell it out for Abby (and you saw them coming from a mile off). As the credits roll, one can’t help but wonder if this caper could have soared to greater heights with a bit more daring ambition. Nevertheless, it’s got just enough going for it to be categorized – like so many before it – as good TV-dinner-movie fodder.

Lift review score: 3/5

With a severe lack of oomph and originality, Lift is another Netflix Original bound to climb the top 10 chart before fading into obscurity. Still, its selling points (brief runtime included) place it in the “easy entertainment” category, perfect for if you’re at a loss of what to watch and need to switch that brain off for an hour or two.

Lift drops on Netflix on January 12, and you can find more of our Netflix coverage below: