The Bubble is about a movie being shot during the peak of the pandemic. The cast and crew stay at a posh hotel. As the world rages in the war with the invisible virus, the team of mega-successful film franchise Cliff Beasts reunites to provide humanity with “perfect distraction”.
The Bubble is a poorly executed comedy that falls short of Apatow’s usual standards. The jokes are weak and the writing is sloppy.
The Bubble is a movie about aspiring actors trying to make it in the entertainment industry. However, the execution is so off that it never seems like redeeming itself halfway in.
The spectacle of high-level incompetence is grating on the nerves of viewers. It’s incomprehensible and unenjoyable to watch, like watching a soap opera with all the characters happening to each other without any sense of plot or purpose.
The Bubble is a great example of how to do a parody right. It is funny, creative, and has a lot of value. However, it does not stand out as much as ‘Tropic Thunder.’ The Bubble is more unique and has more potential for sequels.
The films mentioned above all had a way of creating chaos in their narratives. Even while spoofing other movies, parodies must maintain the semblance of a timeline. The narrative cannot wholly consist of references to previous films and nonsensically make fun of them.
The Bubble is directionless for most of the film. ‘Cliff Beasts 6’ does not have any significance in the scheme of the film. Apatow’s plan to use the context of the pandemic to bring out the plight of going through endless quarantines, invasive diagnostic tests, and the excruciating social disconnect works well initially. The early promise starts fading away though as Apatow runs out of material. The film becomes so bad at a point in time that a cast member, Howie Frangapolous (Guz Khan), literally runs away from the set. ..
The writers looked severely short of ideas. There remain only fleeting moments of genius that are buried under the enormous pressure of carrying the weight of the uninspired plot and story. The tonal changes to represent the widespread mental issues faced by people because of the pandemic come a little too late too, with patow’s universe more about human monstrosity than small-winged, large-bodied dinosaurs and an apocalyptic world. But, the movie is an ugly one that is barely watchable.
The Bubble does not hold up to the repute of its stars and creator. Its mediocrity is hard to shrug off after you have finished watching it. The meta element is overused – abused, rather – and any more throwbacks to films, genres, or film stars become suffocating. The world has come to expect more from these artists.
