Traffik - Movie Review

"Maybe they thought everyone would be too high this 4/20 weekend to know that this movie succkkkkkks"

Traffik is the latest thriller directed by Deon Taylor starring Paula Patton and Omar Epps as a couple who go away on a romantic getaway when they find a phone that is very important to a group of traffickers who will do anything to get it back. They kinda were quiet about this film not showing too much and not allowing many, if any, early screening so that typically a bad sign that this film might not shit, but I was optimistic. Hopefully, Paula Patten and her fine ass would save this and maybe be a great thriller, but I was wrong. I was so wrong

Story 

You can tell they wanted to shine a light on a topic that is very rampant in the world today, human sex trafficking, which I appreciated but they could have done a much better job in giving us a good story while still informing us. The story seems like a generic thriller gone bad. The "twists" they try to have in the movie will catch no one by surprise, and the way they get themselves into the situations are beyond stupid.  Like the movie probably would have been over half way through the movie if Paula Patton's character wasn't a dumbass the entire time to get everyone else killed,  but we will get to that later. 

I honestly thought the movie was gonna end on a bad note and show you how serious trafficking and have the characters not make it. I felt that that would have had a more lasting impact on the audience about the topic, but did they let that happen? Hell no. Right, when I had my stuff ready to leave the next scene started and I instantly knew that they were gonna have a happy ending now and use every cliche to get them out of the situation even if it didn't make sense. for a thriller this movie 

Cast/Character

Omar Epps' performance was about what you would expect from him. I think he is talented just never really given anything to work with, and this movie gives him the same treatment. His character, John is not given much to do except being in love with Paula's character, and that chemistry didn't even feel real. Not alone did his relationship with her feel forced, but the one with his sports agent best friend is beyond stupid. Honestly, his friend played by Laz Alonso is only in the movie to escalate situations in the stupidest way possible. He brings up shit just to piss the other characters off, and then gets mad at them even though it seemed he knew about the stuff. He is just in the movie to be that guy you are glad gets it. I honestly felt that the drama he brought to the movie didnt fit what the sotry was trying to focus on, no need for petty drama when you havet the topic of traffiking to deal with. 

 

Now I love Paula Patton. She is a beautiful woman, but her acting is pretty awful sometimes, and in this movie, it is no different. her acting, from her speaking to even her facial reactions, throughout the movie can take you out of your high and the movie. It also doesn't help that her character, Brea makes dumb decision after dumb decision and is unlikable in the movie. From the start of the movie, they waste no time in telling you that she is dumb and gets herself in trouble even before they met the bad people in the movie. Once the movie got going she, could not mind her business for nothing. I've never seen someone want to get themselves killed as much as she did. 

Like I said if this movie would have ended on a bad note I think it would have had a lot more of an impact, and I might have given this movie a better grade. But because of the cheesiness in the story, the boring and predictable happy ending, and the bad acting by some in the movie, I would only smoke 1 joint out of 5 to this movie. Really the high light of the film was seeing Paula without clothes(that was probably one of the best high experiences this year haha), everything else I probably could have done without. 

So have you seen this movie? Probably not, the theater I went to was completely empty, it didn't start until after I walked in 15 minutes late. But if you did see it, did you like the message of the movie? Let us know by sparking it up in the comment section. and be sure to follow us on our various social media platforms by hitting them below to stay up to date on the latest movie and entertainment reviews and news for the 420 crew. Blaze it!