It is never a good sign for a film when it repeatedly gets pushed back. Just ask New Mutants, they are still looking for the light of day. 21 Bridges has been pushed back multiple times already and renamed from 17 Bridges to 21 Bridges. What happened? Did they discover four more bridges that were hiding? There are so many red flags surrounding the release of this film, so the question becomes is the hesitancy justified? Eh, somewhat. While there are clear flaws in this film and some very head-scratching errors a professional film should not have, the strength of the lead and an intriguing story keep this one from being a complete wash.
21 Bridges is a story about a young cop named Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman) who sends every cop on a citywide manhunt through Manhattan looking for two men who robbed a drug house and killed eight officers in the process. Now Andre must deal with finding these killers while also seeking the truth about what is truly going on in the police system. A system with cops red in the eyes with anger over losing their own. You have seen this film hundreds of times before and every week on CSI or Law and Order. Drug bust, dirty cops, investigator does some investigating, and we solve the case with no trouble at all. You understand beat by beat where this story is going and there are no surprises at all. That is not to say though this film is terrible. It is perfectly enjoyable breezy entertainment that will keep your attention for 90 minutes before you forget about it after walking out. It fascinates me how a film as simple as this can still be made today and the only logical response has to be it is a safe option that audiences will go see. They just won’t take anything away from it.
Something that was heavily promoted with 21 Bridges was the big-name producers behind it in Joe and Anthony Russo. The directors of the biggest film of all time in Avengers: Endgame were all over the trailers and posters for this film. The tagline for the movie even has the word “Avenger” in it. It’s a heavy play, but I respect it. However, it does make me question just what the Russo’s saw within this story. This script is so simple that a child who just watched an episode of NCIS could’ve written it. What it does portray however is a troubling message. This film makes every single New York City cop look terrible except Chadwick Boseman. When one of their own is killed, they only see rage and it makes every cop seem like they shoot first only thirsty for revenge. That is such a troubling message to send. The technical aspects are also confusing. There are such embarrassing editing mistakes littered throughout where we see someone listening to someone else in a conversation, but the person speaking’s mouth doesn’t match the words coming out. They teach you this in film school and for this to make it to the big screen is an embarrassment.
What saves this film from crumbling under its mistakes is the strength of its main leads in Chadwick Boseman and Stephan James. We already know just how great of an actor Boseman is, he has done many roles that challenge him. From Jackie Robinson to Thurgood Marshall and James Brown to finally Black Panther, he has always shown just how wide of a range he has. Which is why it blows my mind why he would take such a simple role. He acts the hell out of this character who never evolves or learns anything. He is perfect from beginning to end and Boseman does what he can to make him unique. Same goes for Stephan James who came onto the scene last year with If Beale Street Could Talk. This is a guy to keep your eye on. What he does in this film is bring a sense of levity and actual humanity. Every character is either a cartoon or a clown in this film, except for James who actually faces his own morality during his journey in the film. He is what you will leave the theater remembering.
So if you are wondering if you should see 21 Bridges this weekend, my answer would be to pass on it. This is a nothing burger of a movie that you have seen before and will not care about later. It is a film you will have a good time with, but there are so many options in the theaters right now that speak so much more powerfully than this one and deserve your dollar. This is a film you can watch at home and have the same experience in a couple months, you aren’t missing much.
The Verdict