Paul Greengrass‘ new film had a bit of an identity crisis previously with a quick name switcheroo that once included the subtitle, The Rise of Robin Hood. It has since been switched back to just The Uprising and the Andrew Garfield movie has just premiered for an audience. The movie stars Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston and Sky Yang.
Greengrass also penned the script and produces the film along with Jason Blum, Gregory Goodman, Joanna Kaye, Joe Neurauter and Lars Sylvest.
Now that the movie has premiered for an audience, those in attendance have gone to social media to post their reactions. Entertainment reporter Jonathan Sim says, “#TheUprising tells a harrowing tale of rebellion. Paul Greengrass does a phenomenal job with the action, bringing his signature handheld intensity. Andrew Garfield brings powerful rage. Dark, tragic, and captivating.”
Tom Chatalbash wasn’t quite as receptive to the movie and felt it came up short for him, saying, “#TheUprising unfortunately didn’t quite hit the bullseye for me. Paul Greengrass’ telling of the revolt against King Richard II is palpably thrilling, handsomely crafted and thankfully far more interested in telling a story of rebellion than ushering anyone into the iconic green hood. Garfield is thunderously good here, wringing every ounce of emotional vulnerability out of the material that often doesn’t meet him or his cast mates at their level. The supporting turns from Jarvis, Bell and McKenzie are also strong, each delivering fiery and compelling work. Greengrass’ signature handheld visual aesthetic surprisingly lends well to the material, giving the set pieces and overall atmosphere an intimacy and propulsion that makes for a winning combo. However, the film’s lackluster script and breakneck pace comes at its detriment, failing to flesh out any of these characters and dig deeper beneath the mud. This is an entertaining film, but it needed far more emotional heft to be truly memorable. Full review next week!”
Awards Radar’s Joey Magidson also felt the movie didn’t deliver enough, saying, “Embargo lifted on The Uprising, so I can say that, outside of a solid Andrew Garfield turn, this did very little for me. The anger of the Peasants Revolt is never given enough weight by Paul Greengrass, with his filmmaking style a poor fit. The Robin Hood of it all? A real miss.”
Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia says Greengrass’ “shaky cam” was all too present here, saying, “THE UPRISING is an angry film that channels the fury of a nation demanding justice in the past and connects it to our collective feelings of oppression and frustration today. Andrew Garfield is, of course, stellar as an everyman swept up in the violent revolt, surrounded by a strong supporting ensemble. On paper, all of this should work for me. Unfortunately, Paul Greengrass’s trademark handheld shaky-cam is on full display. During the action sequences, it’s quite effective, capturing the chaos, urgency, and brutality of the uprising. But there’s absolutely no reason for the rest of the film to maintain that same visual approach in its quieter scenes, where it becomes very distracting. Robin Hood or not, this muddy historical drama doesn’t quite rise to the occasion.”
Inversely, Pastor DeWayne Hamby loved the film, saying, “I loved #TheUprising. It’s an epic historical story told in a gritty & grounded manner. Andrew Garfield delivers a powerful yet restrained performance. Paul Greengrass delivers on a film that will be discussed as one of the year’s best.”
Meanwhile, The Movie Buddy’s Josh Blumenkranz says the movie is a misfire, “Sorry to say The Uprising is a huge misfire. The acting by Andrew Garfield and Thomasin McKenzie is exceptional. However, the screenplay, weird visuals and editing took me out of it. Rest of ensemble is wasted too. Had potential but execution was way off. 5/10 #review”