Hey friends! Barbarella here. If you’re looking for a film that delivers energy, wit, and a whole lot of crazy, look no further than GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE! It takes viewers on a wacky journey through the follies of modern society, wrapping its social commentary in humor and action. In theaters Friday, February 13, this movie starts strong as it introduces its ensemble of motley characters. When a man (Sam Rockwell) comes back from the future to recruit a band of misfits to help save the world, he heads straight to Norm’s, a diner in Los Angeles.
From the moment he enters, Sam Rockwell commands the screen with an opening exposition that could easily have felt weighty if it weren’t for his entertaining and animated way of presenting the information. Keeping the scene dynamic despite the extensive dialogue proves one of the many smart choices director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring, Rango) makes throughout the film. The director taped out the entire diner in a rehearsal space where he worked extensively with Sam Rockwell on the path he would take and where people and things needed to be for him to hit the marks and keep everything flowing. He then sent the layout to the production designer to build the set to fit the specifics of the performance.
Written by Matthew Robinson, this film doesn’t just want you to know its characters through a series of backstories, but it insists you examine (while laughing at) the world they inhabit. Sharply satirizing the absurdities of today’s society, at times the scenes are truly audacious. Juno Temple’s character Susan has the most insanely funny backstory despite the fact that the topic it addresses should be completely disturbing. Susan’s horror at the comments made by a couple trying to make the most of a tragic situation provide some semblance of normality despite the completely abnormal conversation she’s having. This laugh-out-loud scene covers an exceptionally serious topic in a way that makes one realize just how ridiculous life has become.
Michael Peña’s backstory lampoons the challenges educators face in classrooms filled with smartphones and short attention spans. Teenagers and their phones tend to be a bad combination, and as AI comes more into the picture, things seem to only be getting worse.
While the pacing moves quickly, the final act doesn’t quite maintain the entertainment level of what came before, although it never loses that much momentum. It also includes some memorable moments, especially when robots take center stage.
GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE proves a whirlwind of a movie, with Sam Rockwell’s frenetic energy keeping audiences engaged and on the edge of their seats. It offers plenty to consider and much at which to laugh. This bonkers film makes for a fun time in a theater. Check out the trailer.
