Review: Allied (2016) (4.0/5)

Allied’s South Korean poster © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved

Verdict: 4/5 stars.

Brad Pitt plays a Canadian intelligence officer in World War II and marries Marion Cotillard, who plays a French underground resistance fighter.

Marion Cotillard shows Brad Pitt where the ‘loud button’ is on a WWII-era Sten. © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved

Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway, Back To The Future) plays this one close to the hip — you can see where things are going most of the time pretty clearly, and a couple of times I was able to predict what the next line would be without knowing it.

Pros: Journey to the end was fulfilling, the characters felt inhabited and 3-dimensional. Good supporting cast and attention to detail in both dialogue and continuity ensure careful viewers won’t be frustrated.

Movie has some expensive table flipping. © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved

Cons: A couple of the scenes felt a little too CGI (the beginning where Brad para-drops into Africa is a good example.)

Good for: Fans of Brad Pitt, WWII, spy intrigue, or want to see a WWII-era movie shot on a RED camera.

Verdict: 4.0/5 Would watch Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith it up’ again.

Bonus: Sharp eyes will recognize Jared Harris in this movie from Mad Men, where he played British transplant and lawn mower assault victim Lane Pryce.

Photo credit: Daniel Smith — © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved