by Henry Pham
Oscar winner Gore Verbinski (Rango) directs this piece, marking his first directorial effort since A Cure for Wellness, which became a box-office bomb in 2017. For those who don’t know him, he is known for directing the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films and Rango, for which he received an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2011. Both films featured leading star and frequent collaborator Johnny Depp. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a sci-fi, action-comedy film that follows a man claiming to be from the future who takes the patrons and customers of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence.
The main cast includes Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Haley Lu Richardson (HBO’s The White Lotus), Michael Peña (Ant-Man), Zazie Beetz (FX’s Atlanta), Asim Chandhry (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Tom Taylor (HBO’s House of the Dragon), and Juno Temple (Maleficent films). Character development is a notable strength, and performances—particularly by Rockwell, Temple, and Lu Richardson—are strong.
Verbinski’s direction is competent, making the story more than just a sci-fi adventure. The narrative is good and well-focused, addressable themes of technology and AI. Though the absence of futuristic scenes, despite references by Rockwell’s character, creates inconsistencies. While the cinematography and climax are adequate, the plot feels disjointed, relying on vignettes and flashbacks, with most events unfolding overnight until the central issue is resolved. The concept needs to be reworked, as it attempts to be an action-comedy movie that serves as a social commentary on technology and AI, but fails to excel in either genre.
I know some film critics like it, while others don’t. It’s not bad, but not perfect for me. Considering the film runs for 134 minutes, the story felt like it was dragging quite a bit, but gladly it’s not dragging entirely. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a poignant, futuristic tale by Gore Verbinski and Sam Rockwell. Despite the great cast performances, the film falters on and off, and its conclusion left me unsatisfied. It can be an interesting piece for those who are sci-fi fans. Please note the film contains violence, blood, and strong language, making it unsuitable for children.
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