“Congratulations, Ward.”

From Bright.

In a world where humans live alongside elves, fairies, orcs, and all other magical creatures, one human cop is stuck in the middle of the clashing worlds.  Human police officer Daryl Ward (Will Smith) has been partnered with Los Angeles’ first orc officer, Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), and the partnership has set the entire department on edge as no one, especially Ward, trusts the orc’s allegiance.  On Ward’s first day back after being shot on the job, Jakoby and Ward respond to a call for a crazy man (Chris Browning) that gathers the attention of two federal agents (Edgar Ramirez and Happy Anderson) from the Magic Task Force.  Trying to decide what to do about Jakoby, Ward is torn until the partners answer a call where a terrified young elf named Tikka (Lucy Fry) is the only survivor left in an apartment with a Magic Wand.  Once they report the Wand, other officers (Ike Barnholtz, Matt Gerald, Joseph Piccuirro, and Margaret Cho) arrive and try to kill Ward and Jakoby for control of the powerful magic.  After stopping the dirty cops from killing them, Ward and Jakoby quickly find out that news of the Wand has already spread, making them a target for every gang and species in the city, so the two officers grab Tikka and the Wand and try to escape.  However, the mismatched partners quickly realize that the Wand is being tracked by an evil elf, Leilah (Noomi Rapace) and her dark art group that is seeking to use the Wand to awaken the Dark Lord and retake control of the earth.  As Ward, Jakoby, and Tikka race through the city searching for someone they can trust to help them, they try to work through their issues and distrust as the evil chasing them draws closer.

This fantasy action movie is a dark and gritty look at a fantastical alternate reality.  The costumes and make-up used for the fantasy characters are amazing and Smith’s quick wit is a constant throughout the movie.  Certain parts of the film seem unnecessarily clunky, but overall, Bright is a fun, action-packed adventure.

| Rated: TV-MA | Running Time: 117 minutes |Genre: action/fantasy|

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 10* of 10|Nudity: 3 of 10|Sexuality: 0 of 10|Gore: 7 of 10