Mr. Right is one of better surprises from 2016 from the screenplay written by Max Landis mixing romance with violence and featuring two charismatic performances from Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick who was absolutely adorable in her role.
Mr. Right
(2016)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Comedy, Crime, Romance
Universal | R – 95 min. – $26.98 | June 7, 2016
Date Published: 05/30/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE – 3.75/5 |
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Mr. Right is the latest concoction from the quirky mind of writer Max Landis following last year’s American Ultra, a film I enjoyed though not without its problems. This time, it’s more of the same though this has a much lighter tone and a heavier romantic spin sifted amongst the strong violence.
The story follows a man we later know as Francis (SAM ROCKWELL), an assassin who develops a moral compass and now spends his time killing those who would hire him to kill. Doing so, he has made enemies of his former comrades including mentor Hopper (TIM ROTH) who is carefully hunting his former protégé, posing as an FBI agent, as others have met a quick end as Francis is able to dispatch with relative ease. One day his life changes to the good when he, quite literally, bumps into Martha (ANNA KENDRICK), a hot mess who is still reeling over her previous relationship with an ass-hat who cheated on her… right in front of her face in fact. But there’s something alluring about the weird but charming man to the point she agrees to go on a date and the pair soon hit it off, even while he evades other assassins intent on taking him down. The two spend a wonderful few days together but just as it was getting good, she witnesses him kill. At first stunned, and following a back-story provided by Hopper as his FBI persona, she comes around to what her Mr. Right does and goes with the program.
There is a side plot going on involving a crime boss Richard Cartigan (ANSON MOUNT) with his younger, brat, brother Von (JAMES RANSONE) wanting him killed with his attempts to use Francis’ warped morality to do the deed being unsuccessful though not for a lack of trying as he sends out his men, armed to the teeth, to take push Francis to kill Richard, though this, even of a film about an assassin who wears a red nose, does get convoluted. Mr. Right isn’t quite a gem of a film for me, but it still was a welcome surprise. The dialogue from Max Landis is, for the most part, sharp but what makes the movie really work is the charm and all around charisma possessed by Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick, a duo that makes for a different kind of couple yet for whatever reason, still works. You add in some dark comedy, and uber violence (a knight is lunged into a bad guy’s ass), and you have something that is fairly entertaining. The supporting cast is also pretty impressive with Tim Roth making for a decent enough foil and James Ransone plays up an absurdly ridiculous and clueless bad guy while Anson Mount continues his career in obscurity as I hardly recognized him, though I’ve never watched “Hell on Wheels” which, based on seeing pictures, it seems this was an extension from his character on the AMC series. RZA for his part actually isn’t half bad and has some amusing scenes and great banter opposite Rockwell’s Mr. Right.
Mr. Right was directed by Paco Cabezas whose previous films include Rage, a DTV Nic Cage thriller and a handful of episodes of the Showtime fantasy-drama, “Penny Dreadful”. There’s nothing really special about Cabezas’s direction but he’s able to keep it moving at a brisk pace and the comedy works surprisingly well as does the efficient final act that isn’t memorable but pleasing enough. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.0/5 |
| This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover, inside is Digital HD redemption code. Features-wise, it’s very lacking with only a basic featurette, A Sweet Couple (6:34; HD) on the casting of Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick. |
VIDEO – 3.5/5 |
| Universal finds Mr. Right on Blu-ray shown with a 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer. While the movie is bright both in terms of the tone, in spite of the violence, and vibrant colors, I was kind of disappointed to find the detail was a tad soft in places. Otherwise, the video itself is at least clean, free of dust marks, debris, artifacts and aliasing. It’s nothing that will be overly impressive in one’s home theater, but satisfactory enough. |
AUDIO – 3.75/5 |
| The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track comes out a bit better than the video showcasing nice and clear dialogue levels throughout while the bulk of the work done through the front and rear channels are mainly reserved for ambient noises, a generic/forgettable score, as well as a Top 100 soundtrack of songs, and a variety of screams as Mr. Right knifes and shoots his way through a plethora of baddies. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
| Overall, Mr. Right is one of better surprises from 2016 from the screenplay written by Max Landis mixing romance with violence and featuring two charismatic performances from Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick who was absolutely adorable in her role. All in all, this is worth a rental especially if you don’t mind Landis’ writing style. The Blu-ray released through Lionsgate offers so-so video, good audio and sadly limited extras. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.