“Carry-On” - Film Review
There’s great debate about what constitutes a Christmas movie. Deciding whether or not we should watch Die Hard to celebrate the holiday season is exhausting. Who cares? The best traditions are formed out of passion. Out of a genuine desire to share something with another human being. In some families, that may be the classic claymation Rudolph from 1962. In my family, it’s the little-known Olive, the Other Reindeer. Some choose Die Hard. Times are difficult enough as it is, so let people enjoy what makes them happy. There’s no reason an action movie can’t also be a Christmas movie. Enter: Carry-On, a perfect double feature with Die Hard.
Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is a TSA agent at LAX. He’s been in that same entry-level position for three years without ever receiving a commendation or a raise (a fact the movie will reiterate tirelessly). His longtime girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson), also works at LAX as the director of operations for Northwind Airlines. The couple recently learned that Nora is pregnant. With a kid on the way, Nora encourages Ethan to get out of his rut and go back to doing what makes him happy. He applied to be a cop three years ago, but was rejected and never applied again. This Christmas Eve, he finds himself in the middle of a terrorist plot led by a stranger (Jason Bateman) who tests Ethan’s nerve as the fate of hundreds, maybe thousands, of people hangs in the balance.
Cr. Netflix © 2024.
Carry-On is distinctly unpretentious. The film is reminiscent of the genre of ’80s action movies (one might say like Die Hard) that is hard to come by in the current film landscape. Carry-On’s mysterious Traveler is given no backstory, no guiding set of principles, and no reason for being a part of the terrorist underground. Ethan is the everyman hero. He’s cool enough to be idolized by those watching at home, but also imperfect. He struggles to care about his job, but desperately wants to show up for his girlfriend and their future child. He just needs the encouragement of a potential terrorist threat to light a fire under his ass. Carry-On is a throwback to a simpler time where unlikely heroes sprinted through long hallways to save the world from paper-thin villains.
What makes Carry-On such an unexpected thrill is the command director Jaume Collet-Serra has over his vision. While the movie runs a tad long, there’s an undeniable sense of tension that remains constant throughout. The twists, turns, and unpredictable swings make for holiday fun that’s enticing for the whole family. Well, maybe not the entire family, but certainly teens, young adults, and parents who are tired of the same old Christmas fare every year. Even those who like to tear action movies apart with logic will have a difficult time finding fault with Carry-On. Egerton is the charming lead we already knew he was and plays excellently against Bateman’s chilling mystery man. It’s not a perfect movie by any means, but Carry-On sure is a thrilling one.
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