Gringo | Teen Ink

Gringo

November 30, 2018
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

 Gringo is a hilarious comedy that makes the case for being one of the most hilarious movies in 2018. The movie is about an innocent man named Harold and how his values and morals are challenged as his entire world comes crashing down upon him, when he gets crossed by just about anyone and everyone that he knows. It all starts with betrayal, and he is soon forced into a horrible situation after he gets duped by backstabbing bosses, who intend to sell a highly-profitable pill. This eventually leads to him being kidnapped by mysterious criminals, and a trained mercenary eventually comes to find him. But before all of this craziness occurs, Harold originally suspects that something is going on, but he doesn't quite know what. After he travels to Mexico with two colleagues, he learns that one of them isn't his friend, like he feared, and that his wife is cheating on him. Because of this, he realizes that his home in Chicago has nothing for him, so he decides to fake his own kidnapping to make some money. This causes other people to actually kidnap him, and Harold just gets double-crossed at every inch and corner. Harold used to believe that good things happen to a good man, but after this crazy journey, Harold's morals and values are put into jeopardy, as he does his absolute best to save his self from inevitable doom. 


 Gringo is surprisingly fun, exciting, and entertaining but not because of punch lines. Unlike most comedies that rely solely on crafted jokes, this movie uses Harold's natural charm to its advantage and puts him in situations that are certainly viewed as comical. Because Harold is an instantly favorite character with an awesome accent, most of the movie's jokes just come from Harold's responses/reactions to events that are occurring in his life, helping to transform Harold into a complex character who is capable of carrying the entire movie on his shoulders, which is basically does.

 The actual plot of Gringo isn't the greatest, per say, but Harold makes it much better. In fact, without Harold, Gringo would just be some dumb comedy, but, luckily for Gringo, the actor who plays Harold, David Oyelowo, comes to save the day and then some. He manages to help to untangle an otherwise messy plot during his stellar performance that is definitely one of the movie's main highlights. 


 Gringo isn't completely cohesive throughout, but the beginning of the movie manages to brilliantly combine together with the enticing finish to the film. The movie manages to end things elegantly while also managing to accomplish everything they tried to do. However, during parts of the middle, certain plot holes are created and some overly-confusing parts are created. There are a few thrilling twists and turns sprinkled throughout the movie, and as the movie progresses, these surprises help to progress the movie along and create much needed suspense and drama. 
 Although critics didn't seem to enjoy Gringo, 74% of Google users liked this movie, which is a relatively good sign. The movie is actually able to elucidate real problems that occur in the world, like drug cartel related problems in Mexico, kidnappings in Mexico, and how upside down the world is right now with people who do bad things being rewarded for their moral compass pointing in the wrong direction. Some of the scenes during the later parts of the movie help to pack the movie with even more action and adventure, and these edge-of-the seat scenes benefit greatly from the movie's vivid visual effects. These superb special effects manage to shine when they are needed and help to capture the craziness that the movie conjures. Gringo is surprisingly one of the more fun comedies to come out in 2018, and if one does see it, he or she certainly won't be disappointed. 


The author's comments:

"Why do I always get screwed for doing my job?" - Harold


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