Delayed Reaction: Snake Eyes

What I Guessed It Was About: One look at Nic Cage on the box and you know this is about Cage as a degenerate gambler trying to con his way out of debt...right?

How I Came Into It: The only thing I'd ever heard about this was praise for the tracking shot at the beginning. The last two movies I've seen that were praised for a tracking shot were Birdman and Gravity. Then there's the great tracking shots in TV shows lately with Looking and True Detective. As far as I can tell, long tracking shots mean something is going to be great.  Ah, if only that were true.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) Ok, that tracking shot is pretty impressive. If I wasn't looking for it, there's a good chance I wouldn't've noticed it at all, which is a sign that it's been done well. Nic Cage is giving some vintage Cag-iness which has its charms. Hey look, it's Carla Gugino. I like her. I'm also a sucker for a story that changes based on different perspectives.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: This plays like it was meant to be watched on TNT at 3 in the afternoon on a Wednesday. I don't know what to call that quality. I can't imagine when this was ever a new movie, because it plays more like a long episode of a police procedural series that never existed. It's a super plot-driven movie. For being a master plan and conspiracy, it sure relies on a lot of variables happening exactly as they should (I won't begin to go down that rabbit hole, but just ask "how..." at nearly any point in the movie and you'll see what I mean).

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend