Recxpectations: One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film “One Battle After Another” comes out this weekend and it feels like a film that could become a lightning rod even though I personally didn’t think it said all that much.

EXPECT: A THREE HOURS EXPERIENCE
The runtime is around two hours and forty five minutes so, when you add in trailers and what not, you’re going to be in your seat for three+ hours. Personally, I didn’t feel the time at all for the first two hours but the third act started to drag for me.

EXPECT: AN ACTION MOVIE
When compared to other Hollywood action films, One Battle After Another is obviously going to be a critical darling. And if you go into it expecting a Hollywood action film, you probably won’t be as disappointed when the last 45 minutes of One Battle After Another becomes One Cliche After Another. It’s odd that there were complaints about how to market this film because it’s arguably PTA’s most commercial movie. Although I think the concerns were because…

EXPECT: CONSERVATIVE COMPLAINTS
On one hand, I can’t disagree with conservatives who complain that the right wing figures in this film are borderline cartoonish. On the other hand, our current real-life Conservative leaders are pretty darn cartoonish. There also isn’t much pushback or questioning of the domestic terrorists who are the protagonists in the film. I expect right-wing pundits to go too far with their complaints per usual but I can absolutely understand and agree with the core of their discontent even if…

DON’T EXPECT: A POLITICAL FILM
One Battle After Another is a movie of the time more than about the time. Our current political situation is the backdrop of the movie but it’s an action movie more than a statement movie. It’s like saying The Beekeeper is making a statement about the heartless financial corruption that permeates all of American life and politics. I honestly don’t know what it’s trying to say unless it really is saying that all conservatives are cartoonish racists and domestic terrorists are righteous but I can’t imagine that’s what PTA is going for. Sadly, I think some people will claim this is political because just showing Mexican immigrants as people and not criminals is treated like a major statement. But that criticism is more of a comment on modern times than the movie is.

I’m not sure where to rank One Battle After Another; I have it at #6 right now but it could be as high as #3.