Looking to bounce back after recent box office letdowns, Apple TV acquired the distribution rights to Doug Liman’s The Instigators. The action-comedy stars Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and a flurry of well-known performers including Jack Harlow, Hong Chau, and a Rob Gronkowski cameo. Co-written by Casey Affleck and Chuck Maclean, the narrative is about a group of criminals who carry out a heist against the corrupt mayor of Boston, played by Ron Perlman. The film details the aftermath of their high stakes raid where the two protagonists join forces to accomplish their individual goals.
As expected, the acting is impressive. Matt Damon taps into his comedic ability with expert timing for his humor. Casey Affleck manages to come across as rather likable despite his character’s unfiltered and never-ending talking. Matt Damon plays the stoic straight man with a serious backstory, while Affleck plays the lively counterpart who offers comic relief. It is a trope that has been done, what feels like a million times before, but it still works to a degree because the characters are likable and fun to root for.
As engaging as the two main characters are, they are fairly shallow. Their backstories are routine for this genre of film, and their development is extremely sudden. Lacking depth, Matt Damon’s character offers very little novelty. It is Damon’s skilled acting and charm that saves the main role from being a complete nonfactor. He transforms the poorly written character into an endearing—though still hollow—figure.
The cast of supporting actors delivers sincerely effective performances across the board to compliment the leading performers. Jack Harlow is remarkably natural and funny as the criminal leading the heist. Hong Chau succeeds in portraying an initially grounded character who becomes increasingly nonsensical. Andre De Shields is animated and charismatic in his appearance.
The story is amusing entertainment, but it struggles to be anything more. There are quite a few times where things just conveniently work out for the main characters in an unrealistic manner. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously though. Everything is done in good fun with lots of humor and some silliness. The movie is also very fast paced, which works in its favor. It does not overstay its welcome, knowing that a lighthearted buddy action-comedy with little to no profundity does not need to be more than 100 minutes long. The plot is adequate enough to keep the audience engaged, but it is not strong enough to say anything meaningful.
Overall, the movie is a reasonably fun affair. However, by the nature of its flippant antics and recycled cliches, I could see myself forgetting about it pretty quickly.
5/10
