News of the World (2021) Review 

So another film that was meant to come to the Cinema in the UK but made its way to Netflix is here and it is the new Tom Hanks film News of the World and here is my review for it. The premise of the film is set in 1870 and sees a war veteran agree to take a stranded girl to a place she can call home. 

Main Character

This is probably the most obvious thing about this film but Tom Hanks is really good here, I mean when isn't he good. He has such a presence on the screen and is easily the best thing here, his character isn't the most unique ever but Hanks manages to elevate him and make him an interesting character and one that you can easily root for. 

Supporting Characters

This film doesn't really have many supporting characters, it is just people coming in and then leaving before you get the chance to get interested or give an appraisal of their performance. This is of course not true for the main supporting character the young girl played by Helena Zengel and I read that this was her first ever English speaking film so maybe I should be lenient on her but I just can't be because I just found her character annoying. I'm pretty sure it's not her fault but the character was written poorly and the only reason I cared about the plot and things is because of the strength of Hanks performance. Hopefully Zengel keeps doing English speaking films as I think there is quality here and maybe she just needs a bit more experience. 

Story

The story was a mixed bag for me, Hanks personal story and development as the film progresses is well handled and Hanks does a great job with that and seeing these characters travelling through the west is pretty cool. But I also felt very little actually happened, it is like these mini stories that don't connect very well and it was just these two people going through the west with little direction. Also the ending is really predictable, no spoilers but it goes about as you would expect which is a bit disappointing. 

Script

The script is okay, kind of like the story Hanks delivers some great lines and his character is well written but the rest of the film isn't that great. I didn't fully buy into the relationship between the two of them and as I said before the film is split into smaller parts and it doesn't quite work and feels like a bit of a hodgepodge of stories. 

Style 

The style of the film visually is fantastic, the West looks amazing and I think this film deserved to be seen in a cinema because it has a great look. But this film is very slow paced and it really holds the film back, if the story had been better then maybe it could have worked but I was just waiting for it to get going. 

Overall

Overall, I had high expectations with Tom Hanks & Director Paul Greengrass but this film let me down. It is just a very average western with a good lead performance and nothing else that stands out. If you like westerns and Hanks then maybe give it a go but it won't be one I ever rush to see again. 

Rating - 5/10