Jackpot!

I was looking for a movie I could watch to relax and pass the time and Amazon suggested Jackpot!, so I decided to give it a try without expecting much.

It's definitely not the kind of film that will make you think much or learn things, but it's entertaining, with lots of action, quite good acting and decent screenplay. The idea of the film reminds me of The Purge, without the horror / gore aspect .

The movie is actually a comedy, so there isn't much blood or deaths, which is appreciable from time to time. Some scenes and lines are funny and the actors (that we know but aren't ultra famous) give a good performance. The movie moves at a fast pace and even though we know from the start how the film's gonna end I had a good time watching it.

I thought it was a pretty good portrayal of the society we live in (people would do anything for easy money) and it made me wonder what I would do if I ran into that girl... I guess there was a little mental effort provided there!

So yes, the film is a bit stupid and won't take much brainpower, but if you want to chill in front of a nice action comedy, then go for it.

A movie that doesn't require much thought and definitely has a few too many toilet humour jokes and somewhat cringy dialogue, but overall still pretty exciting, thrilling, and a lot of fun to watch with well choreographed action that was never boring, keeping you on your toes, and an endearing performance from John Cena as Noel, who was just a genuinely fun, sweet and quirky character.

Sure, it's not groundbreaking, it's not overly surprising in the direction it went, and it could've explored its concept and the implications of it more thoroughly, especially the horror of it, (warning, parts of it get brutal/dark but more in a cartoonish supervillain way?), but hey, that's not the type of movie it is, not the type I expected it to be, and that's fine.

It had a lot of humour that didn't hit but also a lot that did, it had characters I was rooting for, good pacing, scenes that made me feel on the edge of my seat; it made me laugh and make various oh and *gasp* noises, and be like did you see that?? To my family, so all in all, a stupid good time. Slightly unnerving in concept. Kinda like an old fashioned violent cartoon.👍

Awkwafina maybe wasn't the right casting call but she does all right in this absurd action comedy... but again.. John Cena steals the show. Don't know why the haters hate this movie, it never set out to be the action comedy of the decade. It was just a fun romp which it feels it succeeded in obtaining. The action is very well staged but very pg friendly with its R rating coming from its language. Simon Lui is the predictable villain alongside the 40 plus inhabitants of the city which is meant to have millions of citizens, but it is a dire t to streaming movie so it's understandable to just have the same citizens in every sequence. John Cena seems to be finding the right projects as of late and relishes in the roles he's given. It's fun yet predictable but hey, watch it and see for yourself.

Listen, this is not a movie to go in expecting a fresh experience. It's a pulpy action comedy with Cena and Awkafina doing what they do best. It's breezy and fun to watch, and the length of the movie is perfect for a lazy afternoon or night to while the time away. It was never meant to be more than that, and it delivers where it counts. The action is quick, the dialogues are mostly witting, the screenplay is pacing, and the supporting cast are fantastic.

The movie takes the concept from The Purge, adds a jackpot element to it, and turns it into a straight-out comedy. The concept works, and the movie doesn't take much time to get going.

I really liked the movie and I guess you need to be in a certain mood to enjoy this. It's way better than similar movies which are just pure garbage made half-heartedly to cash in a pay cheque.

Special shoutout to Ayden Mayeri as Shadi, who steals the show in every scene she is in. Hope to see more of her in the future.

5.6/10 (Kind of Recommend)

Categorized as an action and comedy film, this movie entertains quite well all the way through. There are very few slow moments throughout. The comedy isn't top notch, but if you enjoy hearing John Cena get bashed about his size then you might get a chuckle or two out.

The chemistry is good and the cast seem to have great motivation to at least entertain. I liked Awkwafina's humour. She plays the role of mouse well while John Cena is just being his own self as a friendly giant who wants to help.

The story isn't special, and doesn't do anything to standout from films similar to it. The events aren't even believable especially how the outcome is achieved, but that's the fun in films, they don't always have to make sense. They can just entertain for a couple hours. I would definitely watch this one again just for the fun I experienced despite my lower rating.

Overall, kind of recommend. It's not a one-of-a-kind film, but it certainly entertains, and so long as you're not a rigid person to comedy, you should find some hilarity to it. Well cast, good chemistry, and seemingly great motivation to entertain despite the low believability of the story. Still, I would watch again.

That's it for now. Thanks for taking time to read my review. Happy watching and enjoy the show!