‘Carry-On’ (2024) Netflix Movie Review - Taron Egerton is Blackmailed in this Forgettable Action Thriller

The holiday season can be hectic due to various reasons. There's the pressure of finding the perfect gift for a friend or partner, the stress of spending time with extended family, and perhaps most importantly, the rush to get home as quickly as possible. That last thing is what Jaume Collet-Serra and writer T.J. Fixman focus on. Christmas movies teach us to appreciate certain aspects of our lives. It can be your hometown (from which you want to escape to pursue a life in a big city like New York), an old flame (whose marriage proposal you rejected vehemently in the past but now you think you were wrong), or a family member (that cranky aunt perhaps?). Carry-On, too, is a Christmas movie that teaches you kindness. It tells you to thank the airport authorities who ensure everybody reaches home on time to unwrap all the presents with their loved ones. The security officers in Carry-On deal with rude travelers who accuse them of inappropriate behavior or create a ruckus when their bags are singled out for a thorough check. A TSA officer, at one point, is tasked with managing a chaotic crowd demanding answers for a delay in the boarding process. The staff, like the passengers, want to quickly finish their tasks so that they can enjoy Christmas in the warm company of people they love. Hence, Carry-On wants you to be kind to the airport staff.

This message is wrapped with the cover of an action thriller. Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a TSA officer, is blackmailed into doing...nothing. Well, he just has to let a bag slip through security. Ethan, it turns out, ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nora (Sofia Carson), his wife, tells him that he should again start chasing his dream. Ethan wants to be a police officer; he isn't genuinely happy with his current professional routine. Nonetheless, he asks for a promotion because of the baby (Nora is pregnant). Due to this request, Ethan is assigned the task of luggage screening, which forces the bad guys to change their strategy a bit. Carry-On doesn't give a name to the criminals. The subtitles tell you that there is Crook (only his voice is heard), Watcher (Theo Rossi), and Traveler (you can discover the actor's identity yourself). The Crook breaks into Ethan's house and collects his personal information. The Watcher keeps an eye on Ethan by hacking the security cameras. Finally, the Traveler provides instructions to Ethan about what must be done. There is a nice coordination between the criminals - they really look like professionals. Their skills, quick thinking, and agile movement become the source of thrill and tension. Ethan tries to warn others about the threat, but the Watcher easily catches him in the act, whether he's using a phone under the desk or attempting to text through his smartwatch. These criminals know how to dodge the bullet.

The conversations between Ethan and Traveler are nothing but expositions. The words merely convey details about Ethan's past, though instead of giving more dimensions to the character, the information simply prepares him - and us - for that final shot. The facile drama does little more than ramp up the tension. Carry-On doesn't want you to care about Ethan. It just prepares you for his eventual heroism. Still, the movie, for an hour, is taut. It starts losing some of its energy, some of its momentum from the point where Traveler's face is revealed to us. The cat-and-mouse game, though well-executed, is neither inventive nor electrifying enough. The thriller mood often awkwardly brushes against some sitcom-y moments, like when an airport staff member asks people to play a "Put in the box" game or when the absurd actions and rants of the passengers are rendered funny through the reactions of the security officers. These incidents are meant to be funny but don't generate laughs. Rather, you are tickled by the notion that in a film that, through its story, prioritizes the lives of innocent people, there is a flashy action sequence where innocent drivers suffer due to a cop's struggle with an impostor. Whatever (minor) pleasures you derive from Carry-On, they are all mechanical. The action is tightly tethered to the plot; the outcome is predetermined, leaving no room for surprises or shocks. I won't label Carry-On as "bad" or "terrible," as it would imply I strongly responded to the material. This is one of those films that ultimately gives rise to a feeling of indifference. "Forgettable" would be the perfect word one can use to describe Carry-On.

Final Score- [4.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times