Film Illiterate, wherein the proprietor records movies seen, and sporadic progress through assorted lists of the "best". Originally started after regretfully renting something forgettable for the third time. I've forgotten what, but never again! A tedious endeavour since 2005. Hello. 🙂
Gritty urban action-cop drama (think Training Day) with an urban fantasy twist: the race being discriminated against are the orcs, and Ward (Will Smith) is partnered with America's first orc cop, Jakoby (Joel Edgerton). There's a plot involving a prophesy and a magic wand, which works because it's played straight -- magic is uncommon and exceedingly powerful, so when the pair stumble into things they become the target of corrupt cops, gangsters, and of course the big bad killer elf herself (Noomi Rapace).
I heard it described as a buddy cop movie, but I'm not so sure; those have to be funny and Ayer has a tin ear for comedy. It's a generally serious script in any case but moments clearly intended as comic are just awkward. But Ayer does do the urban grit well (again, think Training Day) and was in many ways an inspired choice for this kind of fantasy race-relations story. The action is very good and the magic surprisingly grounded; they compare the wand to a nuclear weapon, and by and large it's treated in the same way as any exotic weapon in an action film.
Most frustrating for me, however, is the lack of worldbuilding, particularly by contrast to something like Hellboy 2. Bright is one of those fantasy worlds with magic (qua hocus pocus) but no magic (qua wonder): what exactly is the point of the exercise?
I hope the sequel goes somewhere more interesting.