The 355

The 355 is modern commercialism. It has little to say and is painfully generic, but it plays up its female-centric cast, hoping to make up for its thin substance. Diverse representation is a positive, but when it's solely a marketing gimmick for an underwhelming project, it's tainted. In fact, The 355 is fairly insulting because female led movies often get these poor efforts. Specifically, the film is a collection of cliches. Stock characters, predictable heel turns, unrealistic MacGuffins, exaggerated stakes, and some deus ex machina for good measure. Plus, the acting is bland (outside of Nyong'o, who brings legitimate emotion).

Technically, the camerawork is excessively shaky and the editing is overcut, fruitlessly compensating for dull action. The production design is uninspired and limited. The audio design is involved but sometimes misuses action sounds. The music is forgettable and the effects are overly sanitized. Lastly, the direction lacks unity, creating a mundane and inconsistent experience. None of this is necessarily terrible, but The 355 just isn't great. Overall, it feels like a halfhearted ploy that capitalizes on good-natured people who want to support minority empowerment. Unfortunately for those viewers, The 355 does very little for the female cause.

Writing: 4/10 Direction: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Acting: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 5/10 Production Design: 4/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 6/10

Overall Score: 5.2/10.

The storyline was very predictable, like all of the twists were given away in the trailer. However, the characters were well cast and the action was well coordinated. The women had good chemistry.

My wife and I watched this on Peacock streaming. The movie has received very mixed reviews, and I can understand why. Not all of it makes sense, and the "drive" that is being sought and auctioned is a mcguffin of sorts. It is the thing that unites the five ladies, from secret agencies of several different countries, to finally band together to keep it out of the hands of the wealthy oligarchs.

But as a "popcorn" movie, just for sheer action and entertainment, it is pretty good. As long as it isn't taken very seriously. My only complaint is the very heavy emphasis on guns and shooting, including several point-blank execution style killings. They could have been more subtle than that. We have too much of that in daily life already, we don't need to see so much of it in movies intended for entertainment.

I think The 355 is suffering from a bit of gender bias because it's definitely not as bad as the reviews say. I've seen many action films with predominantly male casts that are much worse than this but have higher ratings. Does The 355 reinvent the spy or action genres? No. But does it kick a lot of ass and provide for a fun Saturday night blockbuster? Absolutely! Sure the plot and antagonists are a bit shallow, but there are some impressive fight sequences, a couple of twists, and some raw emotion that provide enough substance for viewers.

Each of the cast members holds their own in this action-packed, international adventure (there are 3 Oscar winners in the cast!). You're not seeing anything new here, but what you are seeing is high enough quality to leave you satisfied and thinking "I'd definitely watch a sequel of these badass women taking down bad guys!"

Verdict: Watch it.

I thought this was about as good as any recent spy action thriller. Good action, plot twists and ending. It's a bit predictable and formulaic and not very believable in many parts. Overall pretty entertaining.