Spike Lee "Highest 2 Lowest" (which Chris Evangelist reviewed for /film) is a remake of the abduction of Akira Kurosawa in 1963 "High and Low", which was inspired by Ed McBain's novel in 1959 "King Ransom". The premise is attractive: a rich man, located in his palace at the top of a hill, is on the verge of providing a profitable business contract. However, he suddenly receives a call that his son is abducted. The kidnapper wants a huge ransom, so Mogul immediately begins to raise the ransom money, openly insisting that money means nothing when his son's life is on the line. It is then revealed that the kidnapper made a mistake and accidentally kidnapped the son of Mogul's driver. The kidnapper is still looking for the same ransom, so Mogul faces moral calculation. Is his driver's life on his driver worth the same amount of ransom? He hesitates to pay.

The second half of the story, as in "tall and low" and "highest 2 lowest", includes ransom exchange, unifying the kidnapped child with their father and prolonged, harmonized effort to arrest the kidnapper. "High and low" is ultimately humility And as the character of Mogul, played by Toshiro Mifun, learns to emphasize wealth and live modestly. His wealth, you see, inspired nothing but resentment by the impoverished kidnapping. "The highest 2 lowest", on the other hand, replaces that humility with determination and pride. The mogul this time - a record CEO played by Denzel Washington - is not just fixed to wealth and status; He is also concerned about his place in the history of black music. The spread of black artists' talents is culturally significant and he needs to maintain his ability to do so to remain relevant.

Most critics liked the "highest 2 lowest" (89% approval rating Rotten tomatoes), although many have also agreed that the first half of the film is unhappy and defocused, while the second half is more powered and significant. Both critics and audiences agree: The music stinks. Indeed, some of Lee's music choices are purely confusing, and Apple TV+ subscribers register their complaints online.

A little more: Washington Starsevils in the "Highest 2 Lowest" like David King, CEO of the fictional record company, which was once celebrated because it was a hitmaker in the early 2000s, but has since fallen into difficult times. He now aims to buy control over his record company from his partners. It's a risky move because no one knows if he still has the opportunity to find hot musicians as before. David is convinced he can return his company, but no one has confidence that he will be able to do so. Payment of the kidnapper's ransom will essentially destroy it. But according to his mind, it will also prevent the breeding of black artists through the already transmitted industry. He is Spike Lee's interesting creation.

The whole first half of the "highest 2 lowest" sets all the details of the state of David, the tension he feels about his business and the doubt his family has. His chauffeur, played by Effe Wright, is a close friend David saved from crime and poverty. When the kidnapping drama begins, police officers are calling and rescue plans are put on the move. The kidnapper ($ AP Rocky) invites and demands requests. All of these scenes are fodder of typical Hollywood thrillers and should move with tight, firm determination.

But Lee, with his musical elections, drained these moments of tension. In one scene, a package of police (played by Lachanche, Johnon Douglas Thompson and Dean Winters) gather to discuss the risk of the situation, and Lee plays a gentle, soft jazz over the action. Meanwhile, Washington is accompanied by a dramatic result every time it is on the screen, as if the culmination of the film. This is even the case when he is just walking through his kitchen at home or just getting out of his car.

Internet reactions were noticed by poor music at "the highest 2 lowest". Some letters of letters have called the result "Too big" And "One of the worst things" for the movie. One Twitter/X user He even noticed that the result sounded like MMORPG incident music.

The music of the film has even Inspired strands on RedditAsking if a good movie can be destroyed by bad music. Others faced a problem The strange bifurcated pace of the filmwhich is worsened only by the problems with the result. The whole first half of the film should be tense; After all, she deals with a hostage situation when they feel like people are in danger. Instead, Lee makes long breaks to allow David to be alone with his thoughts. Not until the second half of the film, its pace begins to gather, its ideas begin to form and appear as a pretty great image.

Robert Daniels wrote a very positive overview of "Highest 2 Lowest" for rogerebert.comBut even he admitted that the first half of the film was "Desert" and that her music is ... noticeable. As he said, "walking is painstaking; the characters in the frame appear distant; lighting and framing look stable and sterile; the result is chewed through every scene." At the same time, not everyone is upset by the result of the film. Like Stephanie Zaharek, who reviewed the film about A magazine for a timeSubstantely, "the wonderful result of Howard Drosin - sometimes magnificent, sometimes painful melancholy - perfectly follows the moving mood of the film."

The two drastically different halves of the film are separated by an extended sequence for redemption, set on the subway in Yorkyork, full of fans of Jankis. The order is underlined by the music from the nearby music festival in Porto Riccan, and the optimistic celebration provides a very necessary energy for the film in full. After that moment, the result seems to behave. Then, Lee becomes invested in the material and actually appears with something to say about the glory, the changing nature of the musical production and the nature of the criminal resentment. "The highest 2 lowest" is best when not imitating "high and low". It may be sloppy, but it is definitely worth considering. Just warn that music is a little off.

The "highest 2 lowest" now moves to Apple TV+.