# Bright: Will Smith does Shadowrun **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797 "2017-07-21T13:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/61 "2017-12-27T20:07:16Z")
The relationship is only in the Alien Nation would be pitched as Lethal Weapon meets Star Trek wheres this would be pitched a Lethal Weapon meets Lord of the Rings (i.e. they share some Buddy Cop DNA). ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/62 "2017-12-28T07:46:58Z")
Saw a centaur cop. Hope to see more. The f/x budget must be huge. That’s a lot of prosthetics. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/63 "2017-12-28T12:44:50Z")
We watched it last night. My husband enjoyed it. The genre isn’t really my cup of tea but I liked it too. I didn’t like Will Smith in this, though. His _cop_ persona IMO hit a wall awhile ago. Plus I think part of me was expecting a Men In Black vibe. OTOH I had absolutely no issues with the rest of the cast. I do find this urban magical fantasy world fascinating, though. I was expecting a troll or two to wander through at some point. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/64 "2017-12-28T16:31:12Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > I was expecting a troll or two to wander through at some point. Well there is still one race unaccounted for out of the nine that united to defeat the dark lord, IMO Trolls are the most likely choice. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/65 "2017-12-28T17:31:32Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Well \*\*there is still one race unaccounted for out of the nine \*\*that united to defeat the dark lord, IMO Trolls are the most likely choice. Hmmm … I watched (most of) _Bright_ last night and only saw that one Fairy plus the Elves, Humans, and Orcs. So I only caught four races. What other four races were shown? I missed large chunks of the first 30 minutes, but saw the rest of it all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/66 "2017-12-28T17:55:43Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Hmmm … I watched (most of) _Bright_ last night and only saw that one Fairy plus the Elves, Humans, and Orcs. So I only caught four races. What other four races were shown? > > I missed large chunks of the first 30 minutes, but saw the rest of it all the way through. There was a brief shot of a centaur cop, a lizard men crossing sign (and i think one of the strippers had lizard eyes), a dragon flying around the city (they are usually intelligent beings in this type of setting, not animals like in GoT). I guess we didn’t see a dwarf but i would assume they were one of the races also. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/67 "2017-12-28T18:46:26Z")
There was also a shot of a woman blinking with (maybe) nictitating membranes, or a set of horizontally closing eyelids, I think. Though she could be of the lizard race, she looked very human otherwise. I’m not sure that the dragons and faeries are meant to be other races—the faeries are (hopefully!) non-sentient creatures (otherwise the casual killing would be beyond horrific), and there’s no reason to believe the dragons are anything more than large, flying reptiles. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/68 "2017-12-28T20:04:13Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > The back-story is not too complicated: thousands of years ago was an age when magic was a big deal (today it exists mostly in history and legends, people don’t think about it more than they do about quantum mechanics and nuclear weapons, dragons are something you go to see at the zoo). The Dark Lord (nine feet tall, burning red eyes, black armor, flaming axe) held sway with the orcs at his side. By all accounts, it was a bad time. But then an orcish farmer named Jirak decided or found out that the Dark Lord meant the end of the world, Hitler-style, so he raised an army to fight him. United, all Nine Races were able to defeat the Dark Lord and end the Dark Ages. > > However, it is prophesied that the Dark Lord will return and initiate a second Age of Magic. In anticipation, the fraternity of the Shield of Light has been preparing, including training a new generation of magic users to be able to fight him when he returns, and also handing out flyers at street corners. I agree. The story isn’t complicated, nor is the back story. I think critics don’t know what to do with it. > **['Bright' Reviews: What Critics Don't Get About Urban Fantasy](https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/39755-bright-reviews-bad-critics-urban-fantasy-netflix-genre)** > > The urban fantasy genre needs an 'Iron Man.' Whether or not you agree, it’s an interesting read. Thanks for the conversation! ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/69 "2017-12-28T20:09:28Z")
There was a bearded guy I thought may have supposed to have been a dwarf but he wasn’t short. As far as the critics reaction, I think someone above had it right, it felt like a pile on. Because it was weird and new and easy to mock everyone just decided it sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/70 "2017-12-29T20:56:37Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > There was a brief shot of a centaur cop, a lizard men crossing sign (and i think one of the strippers had lizard eyes), a dragon flying around the city (they are usually intelligent beings in this type of setting, not animals like in GoT). I guess we didn’t see a dwarf but i would assume they were one of the races also. What annoyed me is though they had all these other races, they didn’t d anything with them. You had humans, the orcs, a smattering of elves… and that’s it. Would liked to have seen more interaction with other species. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/71 "2017-12-29T22:39:38Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > What annoyed me is though they had all these other races, they didn’t d anything with them. You had humans, the orcs, a smattering of elves… and that’s it. Would liked to have seen more interaction with other species. Yes. However. Then it gets too convoluted. For an opening show, this seemed to be just right. A glimpse at other races, and a decent look at elves and orcs. They can do more later. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/72 "2017-12-30T03:17:25Z")
I don’t regret watching it, though I think some of the TVMA stuff was a touch overdone for my tastes. I liked the wand. So Nick is part of a prophesy? The reincarnation of Jirak? I was wondering if he was going to be the Bright. I missed the centaur. Would watch a series (doesn’t need Will Smith, could be the magic cop guys) They mentioned Dwarves, but not the other races . Brian ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/73 "2017-12-30T05:29:43Z")
While I enjoyed parts of the film, there are legitimate reasons to think this is a terrible movie. There are some hilarious takedowns that even the director gave props. For me it was all over the place. The orc character was really well acted and Will Smith has the charisma to sell anything. The pacing did not work for me at all. It took forever to get to the inciting incident and then the pacing really fell apart in the middle. The attempts at raising social consciousness were painfully bad. And it didn’t have to be that way. The setting itself was so compelling that the inequality spoke for itself. There was no need for “Are you a cop first, or an orc first?” All that was needed was the reality of the orc sitting in the squad car watching police beat the shit out of other orcs. That was bad writing. And there were too many of those moments, that feel the need to handhold the viewer through understanding racial inequality. The magic system was not entirely logical or understandable. The improvised moments, though, were genuinely funny, and I teared up a bit during that pivotal scene with Jakoby and the pit. I think the entire premise is weird and difficult to accept on its face which could unfairly bias the viewer. Where it fails the most in my view is missed potential to have been something greater. After I finished I gave it a B-. Then I watched the movie “Okja” which is nothing like “Bright” but nonetheless so much more nicely constructed that it immediately made me realize I was being too generous with “Bright.” I will still watch the sequel, why the hell not. The orc is loveable. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/74 "2017-12-30T06:28:22Z")
From a critical point of view, it is instructive to compare the [original script](https://screenplays.io/script/bright). The egregious lines like “Are you a cop first?” simply aren’t there. [In response to **N9IWP**] Ward and Jakoby do eventually realize they are involved in some sort of big prophecy (that is never explicitly spelled out), but there is no mention of Ward being a Bright. Races mentioned include Humans, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, Ogres, and Lizard-Men. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/75 "2017-12-30T06:43:02Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > but there is no mention of Ward being a Bright. ETA I mean that there is no spoken line about Ward being Bright; you can still infer he might be a natural born Bright since he manages to activate the wand without killing himself. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/76 "2017-12-30T07:16:08Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > What annoyed me is though they had all these other races, they didn’t d anything with them. You had humans, the orcs, a smattering of elves… and that’s it. Would liked to have seen more interaction with other species. More significantly, explain the elves. The orcs were ostracized because they supported the Dark Lord 2500 years ago, the only race to do so. The elves were now working to bring him back? Heck, weren’t some of them alive back then? And I’d expect at least some portion of orcs in on it - thousands of years of oppression would make it seem to some like the only chance they’ll ever have of moving up is a world where the Dark Lord wins. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/77 "2017-12-30T12:41:39Z")
The Orcs in the church specifically mention that Jakoby fulfills some prophesy (when he came back from the dead) which is why I though he may be a Bright (The first Orc Bright ever/in 1000 years) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/78 "2017-12-30T13:19:52Z")
The Shield of Light guy they arrested early on told them that they were part of a prophecy (I actually misread the captions and that he said _Jakoby_ was a Bright)…well, he mostly told Jakoby, since he told them in Orcish… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/79 "2017-12-30T14:05:25Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Races mentioned include Humans, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, Ogres, and Lizard-Men. … and there is a shot with an actual Centaur in it. So that’s 7 out of 9 races. Who are the other two? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797/80 "2017-12-30T15:50:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > … and there is a shot with an actual Centaur in it. So that’s 7 out of 9 races. Who are the other two? Assumed to be faeries and dragons, both of which we see also. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bright-will-smith-does-shadowrun/791797.md?page=5)