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Created May 19, 2019 07:55AM PST • Edited Jul 07, 2020 11:09PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   Long Shot is often downright hilarious while also being unintentionally revealing about the state of Left Wing America, making it a very good movie, if a sad one at the same time. So it goes in our 2019 world.

   The unlikely couple at the center of this post-rom romcom are Charlize Theron’s superwoman and Seth Rogen’s shlumpy writerman. She’s loosely inspired by the great and glamorous Nikki Haley. He’s directly inspired by hundreds of shlumpy writers in Left Wing America, Carl Bernstein wannabes all of them.

   His silly politics are substantially indistinguishable from any of the two dozen Democratic presidential contenders to the left of Joe Biden, and yet the movie doesn’t seem to realize that it’s actually satirizing the politics of its creators, not to mention the politics of Hollywood, Brooklyn and elite America writ large.

   Her politics are veiled, her political success chalked up to fabulous looks, indefatigable energy and polished presence. Everything in her life is down to the minute. To wit, she steals a semi-free moment to slot in some tricep curls. She also performs at a high level while running on minimal sleep, Trump like. In short, her brains and discipline are way beyond his, plus she’s way, way out of his league from an attractiveness POV.

   Long shot? Moon shot.
   Funny? Yes.
   Ironic? Unintentionally.
   Worth it? Sure.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Charlize Theron & Seth Rogen demonstrate real chemistry between extremely misfit lovers.

   • Theron’s at the top of her game, as genuine a moviestar as we have on the silver screen today. She’s a natural as the world’s most glamorous woman, who’s easily as smart as she is beautiful.
   • Rogen’s character could be played by any of another half dozen schlumpy Hollywood stud-muffins, but probably not as well. He mostly gets by on self-abasement and snarky self-regard, then manages to step up when the moment calls for it.

   SUPPORTERS

   • June Diane Raphael is icely glamorous as a SecState’s Chief of Staff.
   • O’Shea Jackson Jr. adds needed energy to every scene he’s in as the BFF, a vital romcom role.
   • Ravi Patel as a political functionary
   • Bob Odenkirk as a POTUS spoof
   • Andy Serkis (the great Andy Serkis) with another straight acting role.
   • Randall Park as an exasperated publisher
   • Tristan D. Lalla as a committed protection agent
   • Alexander Skarsgård as a doppelgänger to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, aka Handsome Bernie Sanders

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

    Long Shot follows in the Lefty Hollywood tradition of The American President and Dave.

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

12. Play Very Good 3.5

    The PLAY score was saved by a nifty turnabout involving a surprise Republican. Way to at least give a nod to the other side of the aisle.

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.6

    As with most Left Wing comedies, people say awful things that people in real life don’t say, especially about women. Piling on, the female hero voices sexual preferences that reinforce harmful stereotypes.

    Long Shot was written by a guy, so it’s not surprising that it objectifies women while ostensibly railing against the objectification of women. Lefties get away with that.

    Be warned also that its “body fluid comedy” goes a step further than There’s Something About Mary.

17. Sex Titillating 2.5

18. Violence Fierce 1.6

19. Rudeness Nasty 3.8

21. Reality

    Glib 1.8

    Long Shot is as much a satire as a comedy of manners, sex or romance. Thus the thinly veiled references to Fox News, horribly twisted references though they may be.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.9

23. Biological Glib 1.5

24. Physical Natural 1.0