Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for the upcoming heist thriller Lift, starring Kevin Hart, set for release in January. The streaming giant premiered the trailer during the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys game on Fox Sports last Sunday.
In Lift, Kevin Hart takes on the role of Cyrus Whitaker, the mastermind behind an international team of con artists that’s involved in various crimes, from money laundering to identity theft. When the law finally catches up with them, they devise an audacious plan for redemption: stealing “half a billion worth” of gold en route to a terrorist cell.
There is a caveat, though: they have to carry out the heist mid-air on a plane that is 40,000 feet in the air. Hart and his team come up with a plan for their heist and set it in motion. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go as smoothly as planned. The terrorists prove too dangerous for Hart and his team to handle.
The trailer shows a couple of fight scenes that see the crew’s enemies punch as hard as they can manage both literally and figuratively. At one point, Hart narrowly avoids a bullet thanks to his skill with wielding a suitcase coupled with a bit of Hollywood magic.
Lift is reminiscent of the Fast and Furious franchise but without Vin Diesel and his all-consuming idea of family. You may also mix in a bit of Con Air too. Another thing that distinguishes Lift from that franchise is its humor, with Hart delivering witty one-liners seemingly at a pace of one per scene.
The film boasts a cast of seasoned, if not exactly A-listing, Hollywood actors. Alongside Hart, it features Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Worthington, Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Magnussen, Vivek Kalra, Ursula Corbero, and Jean Reno.
Hart began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian. He has since proven himself as a prolific actor, but largely stuck to comedy movies. While Lift is not his first foray into the action genre, it is the first that will see him as the leading man.
His previous action roles in Ride Along and Central Intelligence saw him playing the sidekick to Ice Cube and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, respectively. With Lift, Hart will be solidifying his credentials as an action star.
Although he doesn’t fit the conventional mold of an action hero like Denzel Washington, he effortlessly pulls it off. His innate humor shines through without descending into clownishness, a pitfall that has hampered some of his previous work, preventing him from being taken seriously beyond comedy.
Fortunately, audiences are embracing the film wholeheartedly. Many express enthusiasm for Hart’s performance, while even more celebrated Vincent D’Onofrio’s inclusion. One fan even declared him one of the greatest actors ever, a sentiment echoed by numerous others through likes and comments.
F. Gary Gray, the mastermind behind The Fate of the Furious and The Italian Job, directs the film based on a script by Daniel Kunka. Gray’s expertise from his previous ventures seeps into Lift, evident in its fast-paced, action-packed, and adrenaline-fueled scenes.
Lift was originally slated for release on August 25. Unfortunately, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes forced Netflix to push it back by several months, along with five other movies that were originally slated for release this year.
Looking ahead, Hart is set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of the Borderlands video game, currently in post-production and scheduled for release on August 9, 2024. He could also star in a potential fourth installment in the Jumanji series, although no official details have been confirmed yet.
Lift is set to make its debut on Netflix on January 12, 2024.
