Carry On (2024)
December 17, 2024 5:48 PM - Subscribe

[TRAILER] A mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) blackmails a young TSA agent (Taron Egerton) into letting a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Day flight.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Written by T.J. Fixman. Produced by Dylan Clark. Cinematography by Lyle Vincent. Edited by Fred Raskin, Elliot Greenberg, Krisztian Majdik. Music by Lorne Balfe.

85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Netflix original. JustWatch listing.
posted by DirtyOldTown (13 comments total)
 
I can see why people like this. It's solid enough. But either it's just not my genre anymore or it needed a little tighter edit with more music and a few more laughs.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:19 PM on December 17, 2024 [1 favorite]


It had its moments, but perhaps I'm an Old now but its (positive) comparison to Die Hard (1988) is really stretching.

Also the Egerton character's motivation (I want to be a cop <acab>) is also pretty weak. Which is uncharitable, but I still stand by it.
posted by porpoise at 6:35 PM on December 17, 2024


It really goes to show you how much something that tries to be Die Hard is doomed by not actually having vintage Bruce Willis.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:00 PM on December 17, 2024


It's not terrible, but I think it failed to stick the landing. I guess that there's a vacuum-sealed compartment in the cargo bay and I guess the poison gas canister chooses to explode there. but I dunno.
posted by SPrintF at 4:53 AM on December 18, 2024 [1 favorite]


I failed to pay very close attention but I’m still baffled about how they got from the passenger cabin to the cargo hold. Is there a way to do that in airplanes?
posted by jeoc at 10:53 AM on December 18, 2024


Needs more Sid James
posted by biffa at 1:49 PM on December 18, 2024


I failed to pay very close attention but I’m still baffled about how they got from the passenger cabin to the cargo hold. Is there a way to do that in airplanes?

IRL: no idea

Movieland: it's well established in action movies, for example as in Executive Decision, Air Force One, Passenger 57.
posted by biffa at 5:58 PM on December 18, 2024


Probably relevant: casual viewing.
posted by box at 10:32 AM on December 21, 2024


I failed to pay very close attention but I’m still baffled about how they got from the passenger cabin to the cargo hold. Is there a way to do that in airplanes?

In real life, it varies, though it is never as easy or straightforward as you would see in a film, and usually requires tools. For example, there's typically a floor hatch somewhere in the cabin to an avionics compartment, and from there there MIGHT be a hatch or access panel to some part of the cargo hold(s). But even if you get there, there's going to be like, containers and stuff in your way.
posted by AndrewInDC at 7:09 PM on December 21, 2024


I was a little uneasy when I realised the film was set in LAX (hands-down my least favourite airport) and that TSA was going to be the hero of the piece. Sure enough, bring on the jokes about the passengers who are uneasy about full-body scanners and other aspects of security theatre. I get that the actual TSA officers are just doing their jobs and there's no need for people to be unpleasant and rude about it, but there's also no need to ridicule people who can often find travel very stressful and/or difficult without being forced to jump through seemingly arbitrary and nonsensical hoops in the name of "security". And funny how the TSA agents in this film are all so nice and kind, not frustrated or mean or needlessly authoritarian.

Then my eyebrows went up when we had the first death: a black man. Then we had the second: a white man, yes, but he was also fat. Death number three: a gay Latino. Awesome. I guess one of the gay guys lived? Then our (straight white cismale) hero saves the day by killing the also white male villain (presumably cis and straight but he wasn't given that much of a background). And he joins the LAPD because of course he does.

At least Danielle Deadwyler's character was awesome and lived.
posted by Athanassiel at 5:23 PM on December 23, 2024 [1 favorite]


To sum up, put Die Hard 2 on rather than this. Similar themes but so much better. Yippie Ki-yay Melonfarmers!
posted by biffa at 6:17 AM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]


Carry-On does for the TSA what Top Gun: Maverick did for the Navy (Threads post)
posted by box at 12:50 PM on December 25, 2024


It's a good thing he's a strong boy who can run fast because Taron Egerton has zero charisma. You'd have no idea what you're supposed to care about in the movie just to look at his face; absolute requirement that he be in active motion in the general direction of the plot.
posted by phunniemee at 4:57 PM on January 12


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