Ghosted

It’s hard to remember a time when Chris Evans wasn’t Captain America. But for a decade before he picked up the shield, he was in comedies and action films, with a few dramas, and of course those pre-Marvel Marvel movies we don’t talk about. Now that he’s done being an Avenger, he’s gone back to comedies, action and some dramas. He was even the voice of everyones favorite Space Ranger. But with his Producer hat firmly on now he has brought to AppleTV+ a globe-trotting, action rom-com with the incredible Ana de Armas. What could go wrong? Well…

Cole Turner (Evans) is a stay-at-home farmer’s son who spends his days as a seller at the local farmer’s market. One day he meets Sadie (de Armas) a workaholic who is grieving for a lost co-worker. The pair engage in their predictable meet-cute and have a pleasant day together than ends with a morning hook-up. Afterwards Cole thinks he has found “the one” as Sadie who has now left the country on business has ignored all of Cole’s endless series of texts. Hence the title. In a romantic gesture he decides to surprise her by showing up in London. At the first landmark, he’s abducted and about to be tortured by bad guys. I know that’s generic but that’s what they call them throughout the entire film. He’s believed to be a super spy known as “The Taxman”, his mistaken identity is uncovered when Sadie rescues him and proceeds to kill dozens of “bad guys” revealing herself as “The Taxman”. A CIA operative tracking down an evil agent turned arms dealer named Leveque (Adrian Brody). Together Sadie and Cole need to survive shoot-outs, assassins, and their misgivings about their relationship. Oh yeah, and they have to save the world too.

With four writers on Ghosted whose résumés include Deadpool movies, Zombieland movies, Lego movies and a slew of Marvel movies, unfortunately feels like four different kinds of movies smashed together. Evans is playing it like a goofy action/comedy, de Armas is in a dramedy/thriller, Brody is playing a Bond villain, and everyone else sees Evans and thinks they are in a Marvel movie. None of it works, except for minor moments when Evans and de Armas tap into some of the chemistry that was needed for the entirety of the film. Director Dexter Fletcher who is attempting to flex his action movie muscles whereas he is used to doing low-key dramas. With Ghosted he’s not quite there yet, while there is some decent action, it is few and far between and like Evans last streaming action comedy for Netflix The Gray Man also starring de Armas, the CG-ness of it all makes you wish you were watching a John Wick movie.

Even with some well placed meta humor, the filmmakers were given so much talent, that they didn’t know what to do with it and everything that was well placed falls flat. It also drops deep into the trap of using needle drops to charge up the action. Where I just kept thinking this is Apple, they need to show us how many songs that can cram into their movie. Hey, they even got a Beatles song in here. Remember? Her codename is “The Taxman”? I was hoping for more from Ghosted as I enjoy these kinds of films. Ones in the vein of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Knight and Day, Grosse Pointe Blank, and True Lies. But the film is filled with multiple set-ups that never pay off, de Armas character never being afraid. Dropped. Evans asthma. Dropped. This movie as a classic action rom-com that belongs with the above mentioned films. Dropped.