A derivative Never Takes Off: Kevin Hart Caper
"Lift" serves as a prime example of the drawbacks of timeliness, as it revolves around the absurd notion of an NFT gaining value. This concept may have appeared believable two years ago when Netflix acquired Daniel Kunka's script, but unfortunately, F. Gary Gray's film arrives at a time when most non-fungible tokens have been declared
worthless. Even if the central MacGuffin driving the heist plot were a physical object, "Lift" would still suffer from a significant lack of star power in its lead, Kevin Hart. Hart lacks the necessary acting skills and gravitas to carry out a project like this, or anything beyond broad comedies, it seems.
The comedian is completely unsuitable for the role of Cyrus Whitaker, the leader of a group of sophisticated thieves who travel around the world. His charm and expertise make him the perfect candidate to collaborate with Interpol on their final mission, which aims to stop a terrorist whose actions make Cyrus seem innocent in comparison. Abby Gladwell, a member of the international police organization, has a past connection with Cyrus. It's not hard to predict where this story is heading. Enjoy latest film online only on Afdah without facing any problem.
The issue lies in the lack of chemistry between the two main characters, resulting in Mbatha-Raw consistently overshadowing Hart whenever they appear on screen together. Hart's character, who is supposed to win over both Mbatha-Raw's character and the audience with his thief-with-a-heart-of-gold routine, feels forced right from the beginning.
The problems extend to the rest of Cyrus' team as well. This group of globetrotting individuals, including Denton, Camila, and Magnus, each have their specific roles, but their characters are underdeveloped, making them feel like mere cogs in a poorly functioning machine, despite the actors' efforts.
Sometimes it appears that "Lift" was meant to be a parody in the style of "Spy," and it could have been more successful as one. It would be more entertaining to see Hart delivering lines like "I would never lift anything from anyone who doesn't deserve to lose it" while wearing a black turtleneck if the filmmakers fully embraced the inherent silliness. Similarly, the third act, set on a plane and playing on the title's pun, could have been more enjoyable if "Lift" didn't take itself so seriously, even when trying to elicit laughter.