“The Misfits,” a ridiculous action-comedy picture from 2021 directed by Renny Harlin and written by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henry, stars Pierce Brosnan, the star of James Bond. A group of contemporary thieves with a variety of skills and backgrounds that resemble Robin Hood are the main characters in “The Misfits.” The film follows them as they rob people and commit different hijinks to give money to the underprivileged.
As they plan and pull out a robbery against a dishonest and heavily guarded Abu Dhabi prison, the story thickens. The group’s bonds are tested as the heist goes on, and in order to prevail, they must deal with betrayals and distractions. Considering how many issues the movie explores, like vigilantism and dictatorship, one would ask if “The Misfits” is based on a true story.
The Misfits: A Fictional Narrative With True Themes
Renny Harlin, a Finnish filmmaker renowned for his large body of very profitable films, including Die Hard, Cliffhanger, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Cuthroat Island, The Covenant, The Legend of Hercules, and others, is the creative force behind the film. “The Misfits” explores social justice, vigilantism, and anti-establishment resistance in great detail. The story revolves around the idea of common people taking up the mantle of justice to fight against widespread corruption and unrestrained greed. These criminals oppose an oppressively oppressive regime.
Many consider “The Misfits” to be a throwback to Harlin’s earlier works, despite the fact that it is set in the present. In an interview, Harlin responded, “That was exactly what I was trying to do,” when asked about the same thing. It uses real actors and real stunts; there are no computer-generated effects. Personally, I miss those films. Modern big-budget films incorporate a great deal of computer work. Even digital persons who were developed as digital doubles to perform some of the tricks. The spectators sense it. It’s not a question of having similar levels of involvement. It’s now about who can use technology to perform the craziest things. As opposed to, say, actual stunts and actual people risking their lives for these actual actions. I long for those times.
The Thai-Chinese actor portraying Wick, Mike Angelo, also discussed his portrayal of the character and his method of approach. According to Mike, Angelo considered his possibilities to make Wick stand out from the other cast members after reading the script and conducting some research while sitting in his hotel room. Wick wasn’t originally intended to be a comic relief.
Angelo went on to say that Renny, the director, was always open to recommendations, which encouraged him to put out different ideas on a regular basis. He was particularly interested in a scene near the end of the film, where the characters were strolling in slow motion and he was the only one who stumbled. While the others remained expressionless, Angelo immediately regained his balance and shrugged off the accident.
The film was a commercial hit, but there were a number of issues surrounding its distribution. The Mansoor Al Dhaheri-produced movie is shot in a number of cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Los Angeles. With this initiative, AlDhaheri hoped to establish Abu Dhabi as a global hub for entertainment. “We are proud to say that FilmGate has produced, filmed, and financed a Hollywood movie right in the heart of our Capital and partnered with industry leaders such as Paramount Pictures and Highland Film Group to bring it to audiences everywhere,” AlDhaheri said in response to a question about the same in an interview. Without the help of the UAE and its astute leadership, none of this would have been feasible.
Although the movie was well received in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a number of significant news outlets and reporters from other nations chastised the UAE for allegedly spending millions of dollars to offend Qatar, the government, the populace, and prominent members of the Muslim community, such as the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh al-Qaradawi. The movie calls Qatar “Jazeeristan” and charges its citizens of supporting terrorist groups, while elevating Abu Dhabi’s mercenaries to heroic status.
Mohamed Nasser, a well-known writer and journalist in Egypt, expressed his dissatisfaction with the movie on social media. Mohamed Nasser claims that the movie is a clear attempt to paint Qatar as a “terrorist-supporting nation.” One of the most well-known Islamic experts, Dr. Muhammad Al-Kubaisi, also took issue with the film in a series of tweets. According to Dr. Muhammad Al-Kubaisi, “God, do not favour the Emirati government.” They are utilising Hollywood to produce the film The Misfits, which came at a cost of over 50 million dollars, in an attempt to harm Qatar’s standing and charge its nonviolent society of being involved in terrorism.
To put it briefly, “The Misfits” is not based in truth. That perception, though, might come from the movie’s themes of social justice, vigilantism, and resistance to the establishment. It investigates the idea—which has served as the inspiration for other movies—of civilians utilising vigilante justice to oppose oppression and greed.
