{"id":24072,"date":"2022-01-07T14:52:36","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T22:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=24072"},"modified":"2022-01-07T14:52:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T22:52:36","slug":"the-355-doesnt-thrill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=24072","title":{"rendered":"THE 355 Doesn\u2019t Thrill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This feature from Universal Pictures opens at cinemas nationwide\non January 7th<\/sup>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When attending a spy flick at the cinema, one expects to see\ndazzling locations, charismatic characters, as well as plenty of thrills,\ntension and a dynamic villain. A new film called The 355<\/em> offers some\ninteresting casting and manages to incorporate a few important elements into\nits storyline, but otherwise comes up short in too many departments to earn\nitself a recommendation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The plot involves CIA agent Mason Browne (Jessica Chastain) who is assigned to take on an incredibly important mission with fellow spy Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan). They are assigned to retrieve a data key that can get into any closed system on the planet and destabilize the world. After a mishap, Browne finds herself officially removed from the case. However, she is informed by a superior to secretly continue with her mission. In order to find the item, she recruits former MI6 agent Khadjoah (Lupita Nyong\u2019o). They also find themselves crossing paths with multiple other spies. This includes German Marie Schmidt (Diane Kruger), Columbian DNI psychologist\/operative Graciela (Penelope Cruz) and a secretive Chinese figure named Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many expect exaggerated antics from their action\npictures, everything here feels especially over-the-top. Amusingly enough, one\ncharacter utters, \u201cDial it down!\u201d early on in the feature. Those who made the\nmovie would have been wise to have followed the direction. The movie features a\nfantastic cast, but the screenplay ultimately lets them and everyone else down.\nThey aren\u2019t given material that develops their characters in more than the broadest\nand most generic of strokes. And when the agents interact, the resulting angry conversations\nabout \u201ccyber-intelligence\u201d and \u201cthe package\u201d come across as corny. And a big plot\ntwist is telegraphed right from the outset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to the central plot, the script attempts to introduce\nsome of the various relationships between the spies and their partners, bosses\nand family members. These matters also seem silly, especially when these heart-to-heats\ncome between shootouts and action scenes. The performers can more than handle\nthemselves in action and the fight scenes look convincing. While things do improve\nand become tense when things aren\u2019t going to plan and the leads are in serious\nperil, but several of the scenarios (particularly early on) do little to thrill.\nEspecially when the group find themselves running through highly populated parts\nof Paris and Shanghai armed and opening fire without batting an eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is the type of picture that takes itself too seriously\ngiven the outrageousness of certain plot elements. It would have been a wiser movie\nto subtly wink to the audience or acknowledge the craziness of the mission or the\nabsurdity of what is being attempted. The cast are talented and make a few individual\nscenes work, but the filmmakers have attempted to deliver a serious, straight-faced\naction flick and don\u2019t succeed. Unfortunately, The 355<\/em> doesn\u2019t send\npulses racing or inspire much more than giggles.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This feature from Universal Pictures opens at cinemas nationwide on January 7th. When attending a spy flick at the cinema, one expects to see dazzling locations, charismatic characters, as well as plenty of thrills, tension and a dynamic villain. A new film called The 355 offers some interesting casting and manages to incorporate a few […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":24076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[209,697,10648,18907,19827,19828,19829,19830,22825],"class_list":["post-24072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie-reviews","tag-209","tag-action","tag-jessica-chastain","tag-spy","tag-the-355","tag-the-355-film-review","tag-the-355-movie-review","tag-the-355-review","tag-thriller"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24072\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}