6 Underground (film)
6 Underground | |
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![]() Promotional release poster | |
Directed by | Michael Bay |
Written by | |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli |
Edited by |
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Music by | Lorne Balfe |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 128 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $150 million[1] |
6 Underground is a 2019 American action-comedy film directed by Michael Bay and written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Adria Arjona, Corey Hawkins, Ben Hardy and Dave Franco.[2] Bay produced the film with his longtime business partner Ian Bryce and Skydance's David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger.
6 Underground premiered at The Shed in New York City on December 10, 2019, and was released by Netflix on December 13, 2019. It received generally polarising reviews, with praise for Reynolds' performance and action sequences, but criticism for its direction and length.
Plot[]
Four years after witnessing the horrors of a brutal regime in the Central Asian nation of Turgistan, an unnamed American billionaire and philanthropist, who made his fortunes from inventing neodymium magnets, fakes his own death to form an anonymous vigilante squad to take down "untouchable" criminals and terrorists. Known as One, he recruits five others to abandon their pasts and join his cause as "ghosts": Two, a spy; Three, a hitman; Four, a parkour runner and thief; Five, a doctor; and Six, a driver.
On their first mission in Florence, Italy, the team interrogates the lawyer of Turgistan's four generals before driving across the city in a bright green Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio while chased by the Mafia and the police. Six is killed just as they get away.
Days later, One recruits Blaine, a former Delta Force sniper suffering from survivor's guilt over his inability to save his team in Afghanistan. He is convinced to fake his suicide and is renamed Seven. One plans to stage a coup d'état to topple the government of Turgistan dictator Rovach Alimov and install Alimov's imprisoned brother Murat as the country's new leader on the Day of the Dead. It is revealed that Two had reluctantly captured Murat and handed him back to Rovach before becoming a ghost.
The team assassinates Rovach's generals in Las Vegas and successfully extracts Murat from his penthouse imprisonment in Hong Kong, but Four is nearly killed during the extraction until Seven intervenes despite protests from One. Following an argument between One and Seven about One's willingness to leave people behind for the mission, the ghosts break the code of anonymity, revealing their names.
In Turgistan, One sets his plan in motion by hacking the state-run television station during Rovach's address, giving Murat a voice. Murat's impromptu speech inspires a citizen revolt, and strategic explosions in the city force Rovach to evacuate to his private yacht. The ghosts storm the yacht and One activates a magnetic pulse invention to incapacitate the guards. When the yacht is immobilized in the middle of the ocean, One chooses to save Four instead of capturing Rovach. Rovach flees by helicopter, only to discover it to be commandeered by Murat and the ghosts, who drop him helpless in a refugee camp where he is beaten to death by an angry mob.
In the aftermath of the revolution, Murat becomes Turgistan's new president and the ghosts part ways until their next mission is determined. Two and Three begin a relationship, as do Four and Five. One and Seven travel to New York City, where Seven tosses his gun into a nearby river, but keeps the remaining bullet, while One watches over a woman and a boy, revealing that he has a young son.
Cast[]
- Ryan Reynolds as One[3] / Magnet S. Johnson (The Billionaire)
- Mélanie Laurent as Camille / Two (C.I.A. Spook)
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Javier / Three (The Hitman)
- Ben Hardy as Billy / Four (The Skywalker)
- Adria Arjona as Amelia / Five (The Doctor)
- Dave Franco as Guy / Six (The Driver)[4]
- Corey Hawkins as Blaine / Seven
- Lior Raz as Rovach Alimov
- Peyman Maadi as Murat Alimov
- Yuri Kolokolnikov as Baasha Zia
- Kim Kold as Daqeeq
- Tauras Čižas as Horseman
- Algirdas Dainavičius as Rooftop General
- James Murray as Caleb
- Ron Funches as Blaine's Cousin / The Funeral Speaker
Production[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Archway_along_riverside_in_Florence_while_filming_%27Six_Underground%27%2C_September_2018.png/220px-Archway_along_riverside_in_Florence_while_filming_%27Six_Underground%27%2C_September_2018.png)
On March 7, 2018, it was reported that Michael Bay would direct the action thriller film, 6 Underground, based on the script by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, which would be produced by Skydance Media's David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger along with Bay.[5] In May 2018, it was reported that Netflix would distribute the film, for what they intend to be a new action franchise with Ryan Reynolds starring in the lead role.[1]
In July 2018, Dave Franco, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Adria Arjona, Corey Hawkins, Ben Hardy and Lior Raz joined the cast.[4][6][7] In August 2018, Mélanie Laurent and Peyman Maadi joined the cast of the film.[8] Principal production commenced on July 30, 2018.
Over the subsequent months, shooting would be completed in several cities of Italy, in Los Angeles, Budapest,[9] and in the United Arab Emirates: in Al Ain, Liwa Oasis, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Al Jazirah Al Hamra (standing in for Nigeria and Afghanistan)[10] and, particularly in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In the UAE, 24 locations were used, some standing in for Las Vegas, Afghanistan, California, Hong Kong and the fictional Turgistan.[11] The UAE military worked with the crew, providing soldiers as extras as well as aircraft that appear in the film. Production designer Jeffrey Beecroft made this comment: "I’ve shot a lot of military stuff with Michael, but I never had the ability to have six Apache [helicopters], 10 Black Hawks and soldiers".[12][13][14]
In Italy, some filming was also done at Cinecittà Studios in Rome and on the Kismet (yacht), rented from owner Shahid Khan. The lengthy car chase, set in the historic center of Florence, consisted of sequences filmed in Florence itself,[15] between August 22 and September 22, 2018, [16] but also in Siena, Rome and Taranto. Michael Bay was able to obtain permits to close streets to film the speeding cars.[17] In an interview, Bay expressed some surprise that Florence had allowed filming of the car chase in its historic area. "There’s a lot of priceless stuff in this movie, like where we have cars flying between an obelisk. Why they allowed me to have flying cars by an obelisk that’s 800 years old, I don’t know. But we didn’t hurt anything," he recalled.[18]
After watching their videos on YouTube, Bay brought on British parkour team Storror to choreograph and perform the parkour sequences in the film.[19] They perform the stunts between skyscrapers and cranes, with some scenes on the Florence Cathedral.[20]
Principal photography wrapped on December 5, 2018.[21]
The film's production reportedly cost $150 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever made by Netflix.[22]
Lorne Balfe composed the film's score, as he previously worked with Michael Bay in 13 Hours.[23] Milan Records released the film soundtrack on December 13, 2019.
Release[]
The film premiered at The Shed in New York City on December 10, 2019,[24] and was released digitally to Netflix and in limited theaters on December 13, 2019.[25] On January 21, 2020, Netflix announced that the film had been viewed by over 83 million viewers on its service within its first month of release.[26]
Reception[]
Critical response[]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 36% based on 92 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "6 Underground is loud, frenetic, and finally preposterous – which is either bad news or a hearty recommendation, depending how one feels about the movies of Michael Bay."[27] Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 41 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[28]
Matt Singer of ScreenCrush gave the film 5 out of 10 and stated that it was "excessive, wanton, gorgeous, bizarre."[29] Cary Darling of Houston Chronicle gave the film 1.5 out of 5 and stated, "6 Underground, a non-stop stunt reel with a few, admittedly impressive displays of your usual visual verve -- is just "Fast & Furious" crossed with an old Whitesnake music video, but with fewer functioning brain cells."[30] Simon Abrams of TheWrap gave the film a negative review and stated, "It wouldn't be a Michael Bay movie if he didn't slavishly cater to the lowest common denominator (get ready for some sexist and gay-panic jokes!), so it makes sense that Bay's antiheroes are more obnoxious when they're trying to be good."[31] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film 2 out of 4 and stated that "it becomes repetitive, nonsensical, and just loud after everyone gets an origin story and we're left with nothing to do but go boom."[32] Brian Lowry of CNN.com gave the film a negative review and stated, "6 Underground proves so uneven in its tone and unrelenting in its volume that it's hard to imagine a hole deep enough in which to bury its silliness."[33] Mark Olsen of Los Angeles Times gave the film a negative review and stated, "After a strong start the movie steadily declines, one set piece after another, and there are many moments where the mind wanders and then asks: "Is this still going on?"[34] Matthew Monagle of Austin Chronicle gave the film 2 out of 5 and stated, "6 Underground feels twice as disappointing for its early success."[35]
Jesse Hassenger of AV Club gave the film a 'C' and stated, "What he seems to be chasing is the feeling of freedom, the windswept open-skies exhilaration of a man who has everything. But he's still just doing donuts, hoping all those whiplash turns from nihilism to macho sentiment awaken something inside him."[36] Peter Bradshaw of Empire Magazine gave the film 2 out of 5 and stated, "If you like your Bayhem pure and unfiltered, this one's for you. Others need not apply." David Fear of Rolling Stone gave the film 1.5 out of 5 and stated that it is full of "guns. Ferraris. Parkour. Headshots. Mélanie Laurent. Las Vegas. Luxury yachts. Thong underwear. Incoherence. Xenophobia. Sexism. Auteurism (Vulgar). 'Merica."[37] Karen Han of Polygon gave the film a negative review and stated, "What kills me most, however, is that amid all the cacophony, there's one joke that hints at the kind of joyful mayhem Bay is capable of."[38] Wenlei Ma of News.com.au gave the film 1.5 out of 5 and stated, "6 Underground really is as terrible as you'd expect it to be, exactly the kind of brainless, bombastic and seizure-inducing fare Michael Bay is known for."[39] Clarisse Loughrey of Independent gave the film 2 out of 5 and stated, "It's a film that lets its audience gorge on violence and bravado, only to make us feel sick of the taste by the final reel."[40] Roxana Hadadi of Pajiba gave the film a negative review and stated, "Military idolatry and craven female objectification and a belief that the rich will save us? 6 Underground has it all!"[41] Robert Levin of Newsday gave the film 1 out of 4 and stated, "This is a terrible action movie that utilizes Michael Bay's worst instincts and none of his best."[42]
Glenn Kenny of New York Times gave the film a positive review and stated, "There are genuinely eccentric innovations here. There's certainly not a whole lot of recognizable humanity, but hey, that's why there's "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."[43] Barry Hertz of Globe and Mail gave the film 3.5 out of 4 and stated, "6 Underground... is a riotous and gleefully delirious assault on the senses. It is vulgar. It is absurd. And it is completely enthralling."[44] Nick Schager of The Daily Beast gave the film a positive review and stated, "For better and worse, in a multiplex or on your television or tablet, it delivers pleasure through pain."[45] Adam Graham of Detroit News gave the film a 'B' and stated, "The madman director's Netflix debut 6 Underground is so big it feels like it's going to smash out of your television screen."[46]
Audience viewership[]
Netflix reported the film was watched by 83 million members over its first four weeks of release, among its best for an original title.[47]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 22, 2018). "Netflix, Michael Bay, Ryan Reynolds & Skydance Set Action Franchise 'Six Underground'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Mélanie Laurent Joins Michael Bay's Six Underground". Empire. August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ https://screenrant.com/ryan-reynolds-6-underground-opening-car-crash-stunt/
- ^ Jump up to: a b Kroll, Justin (July 19, 2018). "Michael Bay's '6 Underground' Sets Ensemble to Join Ryan Reynolds (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 7, 2018). "Michael Bay Sets '6 Underground,' 'Robopocalypse' as Next Two Films (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ "'Fauda' Star Lior Raz to Co-Star With Ryan Reynolds in Michael Bay's 'Six Underground' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 30, 2018). "'Bohemian Rhapsody's Ben Hardy Joins Michael Bay's '6 Underground' At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (August 15, 2018). "Mélanie Laurent & Payman Maadi Join Michael Bay's Big-Budget Netflix Pic '6 Underground'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ^ "Michael Bay/Ryan Reynolds' 'Six Underground' Starts Filming August 2nd In LA and Rome". thegww.com. July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Exclusive behind the scenes with Ryan Reynolds and Michael Bay of '6 Underground' in Abu Dhabi". Youtube. December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
Ryan Reynolds, director Michael Bay and the film crew discussing the complex 27-day shoot in the Emirate
- ^ "Abu Dhabi played California in '6 Underground'". Gulf News. December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Shoot in the capital Abu Dhabi took place in 24 different locations
- ^ "'6 Underground' in Abu Dhabi: new video released from behind the scenes". The National. December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
'Abu Dhabi was wild to shoot in. Because in our movie it’s California, the Middle East, it plays as Hong Kong as well
- ^ "Ryan Reynolds filming in Abu Dhabi: Reem Island residents warned to expect roadblocks". The National. November 13, 2018.
- ^ "In pictures: Ryan Reynolds spotted filming around Abu Dhabi". The National. November 15, 2018.
- ^ "Six Underground, Netflix production filming in Florence, Italy". Youtube. August 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bay is currently directing, for Netflix, the filming of "Six Underground"". All About Italy. August 19, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
Three base camps have been set up in piazza Vittorio Veneto, lungarno della Zecca Vecchia, and piazza Ognissanti,
- ^ "Behind the scenes: 6 Underground". IBC. December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Adrian Pennington speaks with cinematographer Bojan Bazelli about creating practical effects for Bay’s new Ryan Reynolds-starring action blockbuster.
- ^ "The Near-Death Experiences of Michael Bay". Vanity Fair. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
The director of Netflix’s 6 Underground recounts his close calls, fiery escapes, and how chaos has made him more cautious.
- ^ Gates, Christopher. "The truth about those parkour scenes in 6 Underground". Looper.com. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Fordy, Tom (January 16, 2020). "Never mind The Irishman – Michael Bay's 6 Underground is Netflix's craziest movie gamble yet". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Heath, Paul (December 12, 2018). "Michael Bay's Netflix Film '6 Underground' Has Wrapped Shooting". The Hollywood News. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ Reyes, Mike (October 2, 2019). "Ryan Reynolds' New 6 Underground Movie Doesn't Seem To Be Going To Theaters, And That Sucks". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ "Lorne Balfe to Score Michael Bay's '6 Underground'". Film Music Reporter. September 19, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- ^ Comtols, James (December 10, 2019). "Would-be 'wacky neighbor' Ryan Reynolds on why 'it's crazy' he's starring in 6 Underground". Syfy Wire. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ White, Peter (October 1, 2019). "Netflix Sets Premiere Date For Ryan Reynolds/Michael Bay Action Feature '6 Underground'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (January 21, 2020). "Netflix Calls 'The Witcher' Biggest New Show, Reveals Viewership Stats For 'You' & '6 Underground' As It Explains Ratings Methods". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "6 Underground (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ "6 Underground Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- ^ December 11, Matt; Singer. "'6 Underground' Review: Michael Bay And Netflix Make Quite a Pair". ScreenCrush. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Darling, Cary (December 11, 2019). "'6 Underground' is Michael Bay at his Bay-iest". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "'6 Underground' Film Review: Michael Bay Returns with Another Loud, Dumb Action Epic". TheWrap. December 11, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Tallerico, Brian. "6 Underground movie review & film summary (2019) | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (December 11, 2019). "Ryan Reynolds and company sink into the silliness of Netflix's '6 Underground'". CNN. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Review: Action spectacle of '6 Underground' brings together Michael Bay and Ryan Reynolds". Los Angeles Times. December 12, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Movie Review: 6 Underground". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Michael Bay brings his action mayhem (and Ryan Reynolds) to Netflix with 6 Underground". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Fear, David (December 13, 2019). "'6 Underground': Movie Stars, Action, Guns, Booms, T&A, Michael Bay". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Han, Karen (December 13, 2019). "Netflix's 6 Underground sucks the joy out of explosions". Polygon. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "6 Underground is exactly the movie you think it is". NewsComAu. December 14, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "6 Underground review: Leaves Michael Bay's worst impulses completely unchecked". The Independent. December 13, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Hadadi, Roxana (December 24, 2019). "Review, with Spoilers: Netflix Really Gave Michael Bay $150 Million to Make the Wholly Grotesque and Orientalist '6 Underground,' Huh?". Pajiba. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "'6 Underground': Terrible action movie". Newsday. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Kenny, Glenn (December 13, 2019). "'6 Underground' Review: Action by the Numbers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Review: Michael Bay's Netflix debut 6 Underground is a vulgar, absurd and enthralling action spectacle". Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Schager, Nick (December 13, 2019). "Inside Michael Bay's Most Batsh*t-Insane Movie Yet". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Graham, Adam. "Review: Michael Bay rocks the small screen with Netflix's '6 Underground'". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Pamela McClintock (January 21, 2020). "Michael Bay's '6 Underground' Viewed by 83 Million Members, Netflix Says". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
External links[]
- 2019 films
- English-language films
- 2019 action thriller films
- 2010s vigilante films
- American films
- American action thriller films
- American vigilante films
- Day of the Dead films
- Films about revolutions
- Films about terrorism in Asia
- Films directed by Michael Bay
- Films produced by Michael Bay
- Films set in Afghanistan
- War in Afghanistan (2001–present) films
- Films set in California
- Films set in Florence
- Films set in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Films set in Hong Kong
- Films set in Kyiv
- Films set in the Las Vegas Valley
- Films set in Nevada
- Films set in New York City
- Films set in Paris
- Films set in the United Arab Emirates
- Films set in Uzbekistan
- Films set in a fictional country
- Films shot in Abu Dhabi
- Films shot in Florence
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Films shot in Rome
- Films shot in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah
- Films shot in the United Arab Emirates
- Films scored by Lorne Balfe
- Films with screenplays by Paul Wernick
- Films with screenplays by Rhett Reese
- English-language Netflix original films
- Techno-thriller films
- Films about coups d'état