The Netflix Film 6 Underground has just been released on the streaming service, and it’s a doozy. And I’m not using that word in a positive sense. If you’re into mind-blowing action, then you should know it’s packed full of it. But sadly, the film falls short in pretty much every other metric. So without further ado, let’s dive right into the Netflix 6 Underground Film Review.
Netflix 6 Underground Review
The Backstory
The writers of this film (Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese) have done us a disservice. Outside of a few time-shifting backstories, we learn next to nothing regarding the main cast of characters. To be blunt, I’ve heard better stories in the men’s rooms of most nightclubs, and those storytellers weren’t Hollywood writers or producers. The film’s dialogue is weak, to phrase it mildly.
Ryan Reynolds is an inventor billionaire who fakes his death and, with no experience in the assassination game, starts a for-hire hitman squad. Just like in Green Lantern, Ryan’s character stalls out an airplane and crashes it.
Ryan Reynolds crew of bad guy removers are numbered 1 through 7, with of course he being number 1. Now, no one calls it a ‘suicide squad’ as those two words have already been used up by DC Comics/Warner Brothers, but that’s what they are. Heck, I’m not even sure how they’re being compensated for their dictator removal services.
So the team is made up of six individuals, one of which gets killed in the 17-minute car chase opening scene. Like most Michael Bay action films, this one involves plenty of gunfire, explosions, chases, and aerial views. It wouldn’t be a Michael Bay film if there weren’t plenty of aerial drone shots and helicopter scenes kicking up sand. I can think of at least six off the top of my head spanning the last dozen or so years, most with the word Transformers in the title. In other words, we’ve all seen this movie before.
It also wouldn’t be a Michael Bay film (or a Ryan Reynolds liquor ad) if there were some blatant product advertisements. Aviation Gin, Chopard Watches, and Hotels & Resorts are prominently featured in 6 Underground.
The Story
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the film starts with an over-the-top 17-minute car chase through the City of Florence, Italy. Believe it or not, this is the team’s first mission, and as one would expect, it goes south quickly. There are some horrific crashes, a few of which, including the first one, don’t even make sense from a physics point of view. But who cares, it’s a Michael Bay film. Just sit back and enjoy, right?
After watching this scene, I immediately felt terrible for the stuntmen and women in this film. If crash test dummies or CGI weren’t used during this car chase, then there’s got to be some injured folks on the set. As someone who edits video as part of his living, I can say that there are a ton of special effects used here. Glitches and light leaks are easy to notice, but there are so many more that watching a behind-the-scenes feature, should one exist, would be worthwhile.
So the cast of characters goes like this: we got ourselves a billionaire, a doctor, a driver, a hitman, a skywalker, and a former CIA agent. Everyone here is a ghost after having their deaths faked. One of them dies for real, I won’t say who, and is replaced by an army sniper. My favorite of all these characters, and you may not agree, is the skywalker.
You know this is a bad film when 24 minutes in the main character says to the sniper, “God, it’s hard to watch.” As soon as I heard that line, I said “yup”.
The plot of this story is to topple the dictator of a fictitious country in the Middle East, then replace him with his democracy-loving brother. In other words, we’re back to nation-building, which doesn’t work so well in practice nowadays. The dictator is a real piece of shit who puts no value on human life. The brother, on the other hand, is a decent guy, but he’s locked up in the penthouse suite of a Hong Kong tower. And of course, you probably guessed it; the six ghosts have to break him out. While over-the-top, this is a pretty good action sequence.
Once the tyrant’s brother is rescued, we’re taken to the fictitious Middle Eastern country for a violent overthrow of the government.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t find 6 Underground exciting or even enough to keep me awake after the first-hour mark. Fortunately, the second half was better and more entertaining. It was so bad that it took me two nights to complete this film.
There is one scene I need to draw attention to because the filmmakers truly screwed up. At one point in the film, the team is heading to Las Vegas. Now, this is all fine and dandy, until you notice that Ferrari World and the Yas Marina Circuit are shown, but they aren’t in Las Vegas. As a Formula One fan, I’m confident in saying they’re in Abu Dhabi. Go figure.
Overall, the film was a disappointment for so many reasons. If you’re going to watch this turd, put aside two hours where you’re not worried if you ever get them back.
I certainly hope this is the end of the story for these six ghosts, as I don’t want to see a sequel. Watching one 6 Underground film was bad enough, we definitely don’t need a sequel.
If you’re wondering what’s worth watching on Netflix, try Love, Death & Robots, or the upcoming series The Witcher.
What did you think of the Netflix Film 6 Underground? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.
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FTC Disclosure: Netflix did not compensate us at Beantown for this review. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid ambassador.
All photographs are the copyrighted property of Netflix © 2019.
