Will Smith Movie Bright Is Alright - Underrated Hit

I finally caught the movie Bright by Will Smith and Netflix after seeing the soundtrack for it on iTunes.  I read a few reviews on sites, and I really have to say that they were completely wrong about this movie.

First of all if you're not a fan of sci-fi, magic, or World of Warcraft, then you will not take much interest in the movie Bright.  Bright really focuses on how multiple races like Elves, Dwarfs, Orcs, Humans, Fairies, Centaurs and magical creatures co-exist in a modern world.

The social class system is based on the aftermath of a magical war where an evil demon tried to end existence and all races came together to stop it.  Somehow humans maintain order, elves are wealthy, and other races fall into normal roles.

I'm going to be honest with you, Bright is a good movie but it was marketing is horrible.  You have to watch the movie for a hour to get to the main story line of the movie.  Will Smith plays a human police officer Ward.  Joel Edgerton plays an Orc police officer Jakoby.  Officer Ward gets shot by an Orc and everyone believes Officer Jakoby was in on it or let the Orc get away b/c of Orc traditions/loyalty.

We learned that Officer Jakoby kept a secret that really changes the tone of the movie.  Officer is an outcast in his race, and he can no longer go back his race b/c he is unblooded.  The whole movie builds on how he must gain honor to become unblooded and accepted by his race.

<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>Officer Jakoby joined the police force to gain honor and protect the city.   I can see how viewers that are not sci-fi fans would be thrown off by the story lines of what goes on with the class system of imaginary creatures.  Once you get past that, it's actually a good movie.

The story centers around a magic wand that can grant wishes to anyone who can wield it.  Mainly Elves named Brights are the only ones that have the power to wield the magic wand without dying. The story picks up when the two officers respond to a call to a gang area where they meet a young Bright who has a magic wand.

An older Bright tried to kill the younger Bright, and use magic to resurrect the dark lord.  Lore of the dark lord becomes a motif or running joke throughout the movie. The movie takes a serious tone as both officers battle their morals, desires, sense of duty to protect the young Bright and the wand.

Many races died trying to wield the magic wand.  Lots of action and jokes from uncomfortable situations result from the Officer Ward and Jakoby protecting the wand and the Bright.  It's a typical action comedy like Lethal Weapon or Police Academy.  I won't give all the story away, so i'll end it here.

In conclusion, you have to take the movie for what it is.  It's an action comedy movie about magical creatures starring Will Smith.  It makes you smile when you think about it but hey...it works.  If you come looking for something innovative, then you will be disappointed.

If you want to watch a Netflix original new movie, then this is a good one to watch.  It's not going to win any awards, but it is a good movie to watch on your free time.  The movie was marketed as an action movie when it should be a sci-fi thriller.  I give Bright a 7 out of 10.  I heard that sequel is in the making.  Many are protesting the ration behind a sequel, but if you getting involved with the story then you want to see more.

Justice For Sandra Bland

I don't usually post anything about current events or politics, but I will make an exception for a social injustice that needs attention. A few weeks ago in Texas, Sandra Bland was pulled over for routine traffic stop which led to her death.  With access to global media, I'm sure most of you have seen the video of what happened between the officer and Sandra Bland.  In the video, the officer gets mad that Sandra refuses to put out her cigarette.  It your right to smoke your cigarette in your vehicle.  The officer did not have the right to ask her to do that, and she justly had the right to refuse his demand.

After the refusal of the officer's demand, the officer ask her to step out the vehicle.  Sandra refused to step out the vehicle until she knew why.  The officer grew more angry with her refusal, but Sandra was within her rights to ask why she was being ask to exit her vehicle since she was only pulled over for a traffic violation.  After refusal to leave her vehicle, the officer threaten to taser Ms. Bland and physically made her get out of the vehicle.  After an unnecessary moment of violence, the left her vehicle.  At this moment the story turns very graphic and sad.

Note that Sandra Bland is wearing a long skirt in the vehicle as she makes her exit.  In the moments, officer forced to the side of the road out the view of the dashboard camera of the police vehicle.  On the side of the road, the officer committed assault and acts of violence a young woman that were sometime out of a horror movie.  As he repeatedly slammed her Sandra's head onto the concrete, Sandra yelled "I am woman and I have a disability and you are hitting my head against concrete."  The officer's response was "Shut up!" From that moment on, it was unclear What happened to Sandra Bland.

Later, a video surfaced of a motionless Sandra Bland at the police station being detained by a gang of new police officers with her skirt removed and wearing nothing but her underwear with her hands and legs cuffed together.  As I watched surveillance video of Sandra being dragged bare knee across rough parking lot concrete like a dead animal, I felt nothing but despair for her. This a treated reserved for murderers and dangerous felons not a woman who only crime was failing to signal. A few days later, Sandra Bland was pronounced dead as a result of alleged suicide while in the holding cell.  

I don't know what to say.  America is in shock of how poorly the officer treated this woman, questions about her cause of death, and what really happened while she under arrest by the Texas law enforcement.  I just want to know where is the Humanity?  What happened to compassion and doing your job as an authority figure without killing the citizens you are sworn to protect?

This is a case of a woman who knew her rights, and a man who hated she defied his power and authority, and nothing more than that.  I feel sorry for the family who lost a daughter and sister to violence by the one person you thought you could trust to do the right thing.  May God rest her soul, and justice find its way to the victim of mentally unstable officers.