'The Terminal List' Review: Slambang action and Chris Pratt shoulder predictable thriller
Chris Pratt's 'The Terminal List' is a standard-issue thriller. He's James Reece, a Navy SEAL lieutenant commander, thrust in the middle of a conspiracy that led to his entire unit being decimated in an op in Syria. Act II is pretty straightforward — do a Liam Neeson from 'Taken' and exact revenge the way it's meant to be. And with that, the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' star wades through a one-dimensional plot thick with slambang action and the odd twist. It's a serious show but does enough for one-time viewing.
The pacing does become an issue after Antoine Fuqua puts all the set pieces in place in the opening chapter. Reece is gunning for revenge against the ones responsible, especially after he's written off as a soldier with memory issues and concussion after the mayhem his outfit goes through. He seeks the help of his former SEAL buddy Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), now a CIA spook, and journalist Katie Buranek (Constance Wu) to unravel the truth.
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Based on Jack Carr's bestseller, 'The Terminal List' attempts to stay true to the original source material. Most importantly, it depicts the SEALs as they are in real-life — tough, rugged, patriotic, and unwilling to obey orders that go against the grain of their code. Such is the attention to detail that it may turn off someone, not into high-octane action-thrillers. The first episode takes some time to sink in, as Pratt's Reece tries to take stock of his surroundings. However, it gets better as the series progresses.
Perhaps, this was what Pratt needed to make up for the dismal 'Jurassic World: Dominion'. Like the other two Chris's — Evans and Hemsworth, he's done well as far as his non-MCU career goes, and while the series may have run into some rough waters with the critics, his acting chops and the ability to shoulder an entire show is on full display. His version of Reece is pretty much an anti-hero, but his principles are in place. What he lacks in terms of a deteriorating mental state, he makes it up by pummelling the s*** outta the baddies. That level of violence is visceral and works well for the show overall.
Maybe the writing could have focussed a bit more on the female characters. Wu's Buranek is supposedly a steely character, but her introduction is a tad damp. Riley Keough's role as Reece's wife Lauren certainly deserved a lot more screentime. But it's action flicks, so we know a thing or two about how it all ends for the characters. Thankfully, 'The Terminal List' doesn't slow down. It's not got extended stretches of dialogue (there aren't many, to begin with). Surely, 'Stranger Things' will be the cynosure of all eyes on July 1, but spare a few hours for this one. It's not bad, but it's enough to satiate the action junkie in you.
'The Terminal List' premieres July 1 on Amazon Prime Video.