A Geeky Guy's Guide to Eenie Meanie
If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted diversion from the seriousness of life, this movie is not it. Instead, it is a dark and surprisingly deep action movie with great characters.
When I first saw the ad for this movie appear on Hulu, I did a double take. "From the writer of Deadpool" and starring Samara Weaving who I loved in Ready or Not and Guns Akimbo? That sounds awesome!
I couldn't wait to watch and was expecting an over-the-top action/ comedy that would be highly entertaining. Although it was indeed very entertaining, it was not exactly what I expected. It was far more dark than I would have imagined. They wrap some really serious stuff into a joking package, but it is more like using humor to dull the pain rather than for a fun romp. Personally I loved that this did not go exactly how I thought it would. I actually would have been mad if it just stuck to the cliche formula.
First, this movie was definitely inspired by Quentin Tarantino. It stresses dialogue and cool characters (and some super annoying ones... but they are supposed to annoy you). It also has hints of Baby Driver and True Romance (two of my favorite movies of all times). But it also throws in a little Natural Born Killers. For me, the mix worked very well. But keep in mind how serious natural Born Killers was and it may help set your expectations for this film.
In addition, there were some cool action scenes. I especially enjoyed Weaving getting to show off her physical abilities. If Margot Robbie decides she can't play Harley Quinn anymore, I think Samara Weaving could step in nicely.
I'm not going to lie. The fact that Samara Weaving would fit in perfectly in Banshee Pennsylvania definitely enhanced my enjoyment of Eenie Meanie.
But the best part of the movie are the interesting characters from the criminal world. Andy Garcia does an amazing job as always playing a crime boss. Steven Zahn does a fine job as a petty criminal trying to go straight. Weaving and Karl Glusman have some great chemistry as the couple stuck in the ultimate toxic relationship. For the first half of the movie, I wanted to scream at Edie (played by Weaving) to get the hell away from that dipshit John who was destroying her life. And then the writers did what does not happen enough. They actually explained why Edie would be with this douchebag. It made tragic sense.
The two most surprisingly things about the movie were the fact that I actually loved the car chase scenes... and there are many. Edie is a getaway driver. Apparently she's the best and the stunt crew worked overtime getting that point across. I normally am bored to tears by chase scenes. That is why these were so surprising. The second surprise is that ex-NFL player Marshawn Lynch continues to steal every scene he is in. He is starting to garner a reputation with me that if he is in a movie, I will be entertained.
I am actually very surprised that so many critics are panning this movie. As I write this Eenie Meanie only has a 39% with critics. I honestly don't think they get why the movie is not just a simple formulaic lovers running from the law story.
Great write-up, I'd like to see this one after reading your post. Unfortunately, I don't have Hulu so I'll keep an eye out for it to be available on another service.
Critics are overrated. I mean they hated Hudson Hawk, so that is proof they have no clue what they are talking about! I haven't seen this one, but it might make its way to my list. Kind of sounds a little Guy Ritchie esque as well from your description.
I like the cool action in this movie hehehe
Excellent review! Reading your article has increased my interest in watching the movie's dark tone and car chase scenes.
You would have been mad if you had got what you expected? o_O
Given how many times I have been diametrically opposed to critics (one of my more entertaining memories is a uni friend who was EXTREMELY ADAMANT that I MUST have been distracted by the kids because I found one of the Batman movies at the time boring, and if I'd just been able to sit down and watch it properly I would realise that they were right and it was an amazing movie in every possible way, and couldn't accept that I had not been distracted as the kids were asleep, I just generally find superhero movies boring) I tend not to...well I guess just acknowledge the existence of ratings by critics but will otherwise completely ignore them unless I know the critic in question well enough to know/understand their preferences (in the above case I did know one of the critics that my friend was namedropping and knew our tastes in movies varied wildly).
That was an extremely long winded way of saying "...eh."
eta: "...eh" directed at the general opinions of critics on anything in case that wasn't clear XD
I had a glance at the Wikipedia article (because the chances of me watching anything are pretty close to zero) and was slightly disappointed but unsurprised to see that Edie is Eenie Meanie and that there isn't a character called Moe XD
Perhaps it seems like a very different story from what we are used to seeing, that is why it does not have such good reviews, but I think it will depend on the public's acceptance, although the script is something similar to Deadpool. I also read that a former NFL player acts in it.
It has an excellent cast of actors, in particular, he made a special mention of the film's protagonist, Samara Weaving. It seems that he has a lot of faith in her and at the same time that he loves her work. At the same time, he highlights the chase scenes. You have to make a note to try to see it very soon, given its references. It seems good, although the critics and specialists don't like it that much.
Tarantino-style dialogue, dark humor, and strong acting are beautifully portrayed. Despite the low ratings from critics, Eenie Meanie is still a must-see.
Eenie Meanie seems to be something much deeper than a typical action movie. I want to watch it. Thank you.
This movie really seems to have surprised you in a good way. Sometimes films that don’t get the best reviews still manage to connect with viewers on a deeper level. Glad to hear the performances and action stood out , now I’m curious to watch it myself!
I kept seeing it when I logged onto Hulu to watch Alien Earth, which is amazing. Finally finished Banshee, also, so good. You had me at "Samara would fit nicely in Banshee, Pennsylvania," haha. I will definitely give it a watch.
Sometimes we feel like watching a funny movie instead of a love story because when life is stressful, this is the only way to get out of it. Its story also seems quite good, the way you have described its characters
The cover picture makes people more interested in watching the movie. I also liked the way you told the story. I will also add it to my list. I am currently watching some movies on Netflix. Some time ago, I watched squid Game. Another season has just started. As soon as it ends, I will definitely watch this movie. Funny movies are also very good and change our minds a lot.