The Craig Curse?
When Knives Out premiered in 2019, it was a breath of fresh air. It was a well-made film with big stars that was NOT a sequel or fantasy or superhero flick. It wasn’t a great movie, but I enjoyed it. The star of this old-fashioned whodunit was Daniel Craig.
When the James Bond franchise rebooted in 2006, the new 007 was played by Daniel Craig. It was deemed a success by critics and audiences alike. Sadly, it was all downhill for Mr. Craig and Mr. Bond after that.
I just watched Wake Up Dead Man on Netflix, and it looks like another downward spiral for a Craig franchise. His Benoit Blanc, funny and original in 2019, is now a dead-serious bore. The whole movie has ditched the sense of fun the series had six years ago. Rather than amuse us, writer-director Rian Johnson wants to make us think. Blanc doesn’t make us chuckle; he talks about religion and the Bible and the Catholic church.
That’s not what I want from a Knives Out movie.
Of course, none of this is actually Craig’s fault. It’s the desire of Hollywood producers to inject wokeness and/or politics into what used to be entertainment.
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I might have to move. It’s getting too embarrassing to let people know that I live in Minnesota. It’s not just the awful politicians; it’s the fact that so many Minnesotans vote for them.
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