Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Sequential PlanetSequential Planet
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Comic Books
      • Comic Book News
      • Comic Book Reviews
      • Comic Book Features
    • Video Games
      • Video Game Features
      • Video Game News
      • Video Game Reviews
    • Tabletop Games
      • Tabletop Game Features
      • Tabletop Game News
      • Tabletop Game Reviews
    • Anime
      • Anime Features
      • Anime News
      • Anime Reviews
    • Movies
      • Movie Features
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
    • TV
    • More
    • About + Contact
      • About Our Staff
      • Contact Us
    Sequential PlanetSequential Planet
    Home»Movies»Movie Reviews»Movie Review: The Upside
    Movie Reviews

    Movie Review: The Upside

    Chris Efird-GreenBy Chris Efird-GreenJanuary 16, 2019Updated:March 24, 2019No Comments4 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    The Upside

    Director: Neil Burger

    Starring: Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman

    Rating: PG-13

    Runtime: 125 minutes

    Philippe Pozzo di Borgo’s story has been adapted to film multiple times, with the most notable being the 2011 French film The Intouchables. So, it comes as no surprise that Hollywood would eventually decide to tell the story again through an American lens for American audiences. And why wouldn’t they? The Intouchables was a heartwarming story of comradery and growth between two men from different walks of life (and different races, which is a theme that Hollywood especially loves). Movies like these are perfect feel-good flicks to release early in the year before the meatier films come along and push these smaller films to the wayside and out of mind.

    The Upside stars Bryan Cranston as quadriplegic billionaire Phillip Lacasse and Kevin Hart as recently paroled Dell Scott. The movie follows The Intouchables almost beat-for-beat in the way it plays out, even opening similarly with a car chase that then cuts to flashback. Lacasse is depressed and suicidal, so he hires Scott as his life auxiliary in the hopes that Scott’s lack of experience and incompetence will be fatal. What instead plays out is, of course, a happier tale of two men learning about their differences and similarities and growing closer through their work relationship.

     Based on the initial trailers I’d seen, I wasn’t looking forward to viewing this movie. It looked like a sappy feel-good movie that used dramatic tragedy to force emotions from audiences. Movies like these tend to lose me because they feel like they’re trying to get cheap emotional reactions rather than trying to evoke genuine emotion through art. And after seeing The Upside I was mostly right in my assessment.

    Lacasse is the pitiable character with the tragic situation and backstory, and then along comes Scott who also has a tragic situation and backstory. The movie is rife with stereotypes and tropes of the genre, from the two exchanging music tastes and appreciations (which, admittedly, I think they did really well in this movie) to the two sharing hobbies; Lacasse takes Scott to opera theater (where, surprise, Scott talks the whole time) and Scott gives Lacasse weed (which, again, the movie does well in creating fun and endearing scenes with this gimmick).

    The plot follows the exact trajectory you’d expect. I won’t spoil anything, but if you’re familiar with this buddy-dramedy-type of film you’ll be able to call every major plot point. And despite this, the movie is undeniably charming. Cranston and Hart have great chemistry onscreen, and I enjoyed their banter throughout. While I like Hart as a comedian, I’m worried when he’s cast in movies because directors tend to let him adlib for humor (and it usually comes off as obnoxious). But here, Hart is working with a script. He’s forced to act. While he still gets his comedic moments for the Hart fans, he’s reigned in much more than he usually is, and it shows positively in the movie. I’d love to see him take on more dramatic roles in the future to see if he can really hone his dramatic chops. I haven’t mentioned Cranston much, but that’s because we all know he can act. He didn’t disappoint here, either.

    Besides Hart and Cranston, the biggest name is Nicole Kidman who plays Cranston’s business partner Yvonne Pendleton. However, none of the other actors aside from our starring two shine at all. Which is fine, because that’s the most interesting relationship in the film. However, Kidman and Cranston have an enjoyably frustrating relationship to witness in the film that’s worth having Kidman for alone.

    The Upside is a cliched American adaptation of di Borgo’s story, but that doesn’t make it a bad film. It manages to tell a sweet story that, while not perfect or even particularly good, does enough right and well to elevate it above its more mediocre predecessors. If you’re looking for a nice feel-good film for a date or the family, this is a great pick. Fans of Cranston or Hart won’t be disappointed.

    The Upside

    62%
    62%
    Average Watch

    The Upside is a feel-good family film that, despite its faults, manages to be both entertaining and crowd-pleasing.

    • Directing
      6
    • Writing
      5
    • Acting
      7.5
    • User Ratings (0 Votes)
      0
    bryan cranston kevin hart movie movie review the upside
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Chris Efird-Green
    • Website

    Clocking in over 3,000 hours worth of anime watched and over 8,000 chapters of various manga read, Chris Efird-Green has a deep understanding of trash, garbage, and filth. Sometimes, he likes to watch movies and tell everyone his opinion on them.

    Related Posts

    Movie Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

    9.5 March 16, 2023

    Movie Review: Glass Onion

    9.0 February 28, 2023

    Movie Review: Thor: Love and Thunder

    7.7 November 7, 2022
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Thanks for submitting your comment!
    Latest

    Board Game Review: A Message From The Stars

    April 25, 2025

    Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar Pre-Orders Go Live for Nintendo Platforms

    April 25, 2025

    Maliki: Poison of the Past Brings Cozy Time-Traveling RPG to Switch and PC

    April 24, 2025

    Board Game Review: Furnace

    April 22, 2025

    Red & Blue: Monster Hunters Coming to English Readers This December

    April 22, 2025

    New Solo Bag-Builder Conservas Available Now From 25th Century Games

    April 22, 2025

    Earth: Animal Kingdom Expansion Now Live on Kickstarter

    April 22, 2025

    Supernatural Tactics RPG Demonschool Set for Q3 2025 Release

    April 17, 2025

    Video Game Mini-Review: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

    April 15, 2025

    Farming Simulator 16-Bit Edition Announced for… Mega Drive and Genesis Consoles?

    April 11, 2025
    Categories

    Sequential Planet Copyright © 2018.

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    © 2025 Sequential Planet

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.