Bird Box: Barcelona

So while this film isn't quite as good as the first, its not a bad follow up from Spain to the 2018 original US film by any stretch.

There are some instances of bad CGI and the story progression to the overall universe was quite minimal and these two factors certainly explain some of the lower reviews by critics and viewers alike, but overall I'd award this film a solid 65.

It does drag on a little and the conclusion was a bit predictable but overall I was satisfied by how they deepened the lore and story with the additions they made. I won't get into spoiler territory here but I liked how they told another story which coincided with the events from the first film and told from another part of the world. I'll certainly be in the circle of people interested to see what the next addition to this franchise will be - I think there's a solid cult classic in the making here.

65/100, would recommend.

The production and acting are not that bad, that's the good news, the bad: the story unfolding is a total bore besides some action sequences here and there, which are okay but nothing remarkable. Somewhat the whole affair reminds me of a mediocre episode of The Walking Dead, one of those last few seasons. In short: Bird Box: Barcelona is no match for the original starring Sandra Bullock, which is a very suspenseful movie with some strong emotional scenes. But this one is simply one of those fast produced mass products that will be forgotten fast and fall (rightfully) into the void of all those trash movies produced for streaming services these days. A legit sequel to the original one? No. Just a cash grabber aiming at the Spanish speaking audience. Final verdict: solid produced boredom.

The problem with this movie is that it shouldn't be a movie. If this was a show with a proper start (like the first movie), an interesting twist with character development (like the 2nd movie) and a finale (a potential 3rd movie) it would've been a straightup banger. But because it's not a complete story, leaves too much story out and has no proper direction to go in other than the characters in both movies sharing the same goal of reaching a safe location.

Things they could've done to make it better:

• Made a 12 episode show out of it instead with a start and ending;
• More interesting character progression;
• More backstory;
• More interesting villain(s).

What I liked about the movie:

• Concept is good;
• Lots of suspension;
• Great locations;
• Good videography.

I feel like it had a lot of potential and hype but didn't deliver since both movies were extremely mediocre in the end.

Never saw the first one before seeing this so I have nothing to compare it to. Unless you count about 100 other similar movies and TV shows. This is a mixture of "see", "A Quiet Place" and a few others. Not very original, which is the first issue with the movie.

The other issues are some of the characters which are not sold so well, acting need some work. The CGi/FX is not good, and I think the music score could have been a lot better to sell several scenes. I also think this is not creepy enough i.e. The directing is not on point.

With those negatives out of the way this is still a decent watch. The Spanish is fairly easy to understand and they speak English in many scenes so language is not an issue. Not that this movie really need you to understand everything language-wise but just so you know. The storyline is interesting enough, and the pacing is great. I think this can get a cult following and I would not be surprised if they do a few more of these, set in other locations.

I give this a generous 6/10, and I think the movie is worth your time, But don't expect anything great.

Overall, it's well acted, but Birdbox: Barcelona is lacking the spark to make it interesting. There are a few highlights, but the majority is rather plodding and lacks the tension that should keep the audience engaged. The sets are well put together and Barcelona is convincingly transformed into a post-apocalyptic shadow of itself. The lack of plot elements to keep the pace results in this being more Boredbox than Birdbox, just a shadow of the gripping original.

Such a shame. I enjoyed the original Birdbox and loved the idea of seeing it played out from another angle, in a city I know so well.