As a fan of Christmas action movies like Die Hard, I am happy to see that the subgenre of thrillers set during the holidays is becoming more common with releases like Carry-On. While I also am happy to see the new non-traditional Christmas movie becoming a well-liked hit since it became available with a Netflix subscription, I do not think I will be adding it to my personal cinematic holiday traditions.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra's thriller, starring Taron Egerton as an LAX TSA agent coerced into letting a mysterious package on board a flight, felt like a fun and even clever '90s action movie throwback to me at certain times. Unfortunately, I more often found myself shouting at the screen over illogical nonsense and irritatingly unnecessary scenes and details. Allow me to explain by pointing out five specific reasons why Carry-On proved to be a bit of a bumpy ride for me.
Airport security practices have been subject to controversy in recent years, such as when the TSA posted to X claiming that peanut butter is a liquid. So, I guess it makes sense that a movie with a TSA agent as its hero would feel inclined to reflect the complaints they often receive in a comical fashion, which I ultimately have no issue with. However, Carry-On could not have approached the topic more lazily and unnecessarily, in my opinion.
The film takes a moment to present clips of unruly travelers arguing with TSA agents that are filled with the most generic and obvious jokes you could conceive regarding the subject. To make matters worse, the "humorous" montage is awkwardly wedged in after the main terrorist plot has been established, fervently disrupting the high-stakes tone. Not that it might have improved it, but I think the scene would have at least felt more appropriate if it occurred before Egerton's Ethan Kopek receives the earpiece from the villain known only as Traveler (Jason Bateman).
Speaking of Traveler, I believe that the best action movies tend to live or die by the strength of their villain and, I hate to say it but, Bateman's character has a lot to do with why I did not like Carry-On. This is not to say that I was unimpressed with the Ozark cast member's performance because I do think he nails the ruthless middleman's sinister aura quite well. My issue is that he never seems to know when to shut up.
I genuinely feel the movie loses some of its tension and momentum by Traveler's refusal to keep his mouth shut at times when talking to Ethan via earpiece. Considering a lot of Bateman's more comedic characters are already known for being motormouths, it became difficult for me to take him seriously as a result, and some of his ridiculous dialogue - such as his story about the tree in the Serengeti - certainly did not help. In fact, that little story, which is meant to serve as a tension-racketing lead-up to a major character's death, is a prime example of a moment that actually severely undercuts the tension, if you ask me.
By "major character death," I am referring to when Curtiss Cook's Lionel Williams, a senior airport security officer, is murdered when Traveler induces a heart attack. Despite that ridiculous Serengeti story leading up to it, I did find this to be a well-executed and emotionally effective moment. Yet, the supporting character's reactions to the tragedy suffered from a hilarious lack of emotion, as far as I am concerned.
Fellow TSA agents and LAX employees who have supposedly known and worked with this man for years respond to his death with dialogue as simple as, "Damn, that's messed up," or "So tragic," which is only made more laughable by the inhumanly flat delivery. A friend of mine described the movie in conversation with me as feeling like it was A.I.-generated and I think that this is the best evidence for that argument.
For all my issues with Bateman's Traveler, I would say he is on par with greats like Die Hard's Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) or Dennis Hopper's Howard Payne from Speed when compared to his accomplice, played by Theo Rossi. Identified only as "Watcher" in the credits, the character starts out as just a relatively reserved antagonist whom I actually forgot was in the movie each time the story cut away from him for the first half.
Later on, when Watcher gets a chance to branch out and leave the van to hunt down Ethan's pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson), he suddenly turns into a laughably over-the-top villain with his sadistic smile and Beavis and Butt-Head-esque giggle. What makes those show-stealing action villains I mentioned earlier so iconic is that they chose one characterization - either stone-cold or eccentric - and stuck with it. If the Watcher's behavioral tone was more consistent, I might have had more fun with the role.
Speaking as a fan of tightly constructed thrillers, I am willing to let a few blemishes - such as all the things that do not make sense about Die Hard - get by. However, with Carry-On, the illogical mistakes and plot conveniences happened far too often, especially in the final act. Allow me to list the most glaring examples I noticed here:
Seeing how Carry-On received an 85% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, I am genuinely happy that I am in the minority on this one. Hopefully, none of my ramblings have ruined the experience and you continue to enjoy this flick as an action-packed holiday favorite.