"DON'T YOU CRY NO MORE"
2024's Carry-On has to do with airports, and metal detectors, and annoying commuters, and handheld luggage (hence the plain to see title). It fashions itself in the vein of stuff like Phone Booth and Panic Room and 2005's Red Eye, movies where if the protagonist doesn't do something for the antagonist, said antagonist is gonna make said protagonist's life a living nightmare. In the case of Carry-On, TSA agent Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) has to let a dangerous package pass through security or evil passenger Traveler (Jason Bateman) is gonna off Ethan's pregnant girlfriend. "Just relax okay". Uh, whatev dude, I'm doing the best I can.
Carry-On, well it is directed by Jaume Collet Serra, a guy who never met a terminal and/or baggage claim he didn't like (or wanted to utilize). Serra manufactures a new spin on the whole, terrorist airfield thang, letting the chaos and tension spill mostly within the lobby as opposed to the friendly skies. As usual he turns the psychological screws and supplies the mild convolutions, occasionally throwing in a violent, three-dimensional, streamlined action sequence (in this occasion, said sequence is set to Wham's "Last Christmas"). About the only thing missing from Serra's flight plight is some NYC locales and one Liam Neeson.
Normally funnyman and gift of gab monger Jason Bateman squeezing out a performance as a credible villain, some offhanded humor, Bateman and Egerton's Ethan going mano a mano in thuggish manner. Carry-on has these attributes but let it be known, it is not a Christmas movie (even though it takes place on Christmas Eve), just as Die Hard is not a Christmas movie (same swipe). Get over it people and embrace Red One as Yuletide fare instead! Just accept Carry-On as a thriller that just happens to intervene with those warm, day of festivity fuzzies. "Carry" conviction.
Written by Jesse Burleson
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