Genre: Action| Crime | Drama Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Wei Tang
Written by: Morgan Davis Foehl

Set within the world of global cybercrime, Legendary’s Blackhat follows a furloughed convict and his American and Chinese partners as they hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta.

Michael Mann’s generic foray into crafting a meaningful and interesting computer hacking International-based thriller was a big disappointment. More like BlackFlat, the suspense and engagement fizzles relatively quickly even though the audience travels from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta. The movie overstays its welcome and should’ve been a half hour shorter. The pacing was all over the place. Slow in some parts, yet brisk in others. The plot is preposterous and the situations seem unrealistic even for Hollywood’s standards.

I felt distracted by a few things that hindered my enjoyment. Blackhat seemed very focused on the Southeast Asian market with locations familiar to that audience. This will do well overseas. The authenticity of this region seems legitimate. This is the consequences of a global box office and I shouldn’t complain about the industry focusing beyond an American coastal city. This should do very well overseas. Its interesting to see such a diverse cast, but Blackhat is catering to an Asian audience. One thing I did like was how Blackhat was filmed including the jagged cinematography contrasted with the tight editing. This is an attempt to manipulate tension when it isnt working on screen. Another obnoxious distraction was how Mr. Hemsworth’s shirts always seemed a few too many buttons unbuttoned.

Blackhat was filmed including the jagged cinematography contrasted with the tight editing

The divisive critical reaction to Blackhat is fascinating. People often view a movie from various perspectives. This is a prime example of how a let down becomes a “bad movie” for people who isolate themselves from truly awful movies (like when people put Interstellar or St. Vincent on a 2014 worst movie list). It ranges from a fun guilty pleasure to awful. I was in the middle admitting that it just meanders for relevance in seeking meaningful tension. Ultimately, Blackhat overstays its welcome and yet is almost as uninteresting as his boring and thematically challenged Miami Vice. Go see something else.

I rate Blackhat a 5.5 out of 10.