The Bubble follows a group of actors trying to make a movie in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, things go awry, and the actors find themselves suck in a nightmare scenario that seems like it is meant to be a satire of the film industry. While this movie has moments, it is kind of all over the place and almost a satire of itself. The one thing this film has going for it is its cast, but there are too many characters, so they all come off as flat and one-dimensional. Daisy Radley's cameo was my favorite part. It was so random and made no sense that I couldn't help but laugh. I also enjoyed James McAvoy's cameo. All in all, The Bubble feels like Netflix's attempt to make its own version of Tropic Thunder. However, like a lot of Netflix's movies, it lacks the originality, humor, and even depth that Tropic Thunder has. I won't spoil anything, but there are a lot of comparisons that could be made between the two films. And I would highly recommend watching Tropic Thunder over this.

This film was not what I had hoped for. It had big stars, an acclaimed comedy director and a promising premise but it just fell short on so many levels.

The premise is about a bunch of actors and a film crew trying to make a movie during the pandemic and it starts off quite strong. I chuckled here and there, the writing was tighter and it had relatability when it came to the pandemic stuff. That's where I have to give it points, the satire was decent here but that's the only place I can give it points.

The acting, cinematography, music was all okay, nothing unexpected and everyone does their job well here.

It was the writing and the pacing that really brings this film down. Around 75% into the first act all the way until the credits rolled, I found myself zoning in and out of the film. This film could have been a 90 minute film or even shorter. 2 hours dragged the whole thing out and it felt like a chore to finish the film just to get it done with. There was a tongue in cheek ending which kind of makes up for a little bit of this by being self aware but even still it was very lacklustre. The jokes became very flat and I found myself have 0 reaction to any of it. Even the comic relief character was decent but they were under used and taken out of the film quite early on.

Alongside this, the characters are all uninteresting and with the flat jokes and dragged out narrative, there's nothing really to keep you watching.

Overall the film starts of good then slowly delves into a long drag.

P. S. The choreographed dances were feel good..it was one of the few instances in the film that uplifted it alongside the welcome cameos.

Judd Apatow usually has a good comedic and dramatic instincts in his films. Perhaps this era of wokeness and cancel culture has dampened his funny bone. All the jokes whether slapstick, dialogue, situational - are only slightly amusing. They don't seem that brave, clever, witty, charming or challenging like his previous films. No particular big laugh out loud moments. Even the cameos from many other famous actors/actresses/musicians only amounts to minor amusement. Eg. John Cena, Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy, Beck.

The whole premise of a group of self absorbed actors who brought together to a luxurious hotel in England at the height of a pandemic to film another sequel of a film franchise called Cliff Beasts, is an interesting one. Which could of been a good opportunity for comedic caricatures of the starring actors themselves. Instead they're acting as fictional actors in a fictional world, which seems less braver option.

For example It would have been so much funnier to have David Duchovny to be a real crazy conspiracy theorist like his Mulder character in the X Files.

It could of been even gone even more meta and gone the Tropic Thunder or Galaxy Quest story route of these eccentric and egotistical actors finding themselves in a real situation of discovering actual real life "Cliff Beasts" and using their acting skills to overcome the beasts and survive.

Keanu Reeves exaggerated self parody cameo in the Ali Wong film "Be My Maybe" was one of the comedic highlights of that film. Or Ricky Gervais's Extras tv show had cameo appearances from top tier Hollywood actors/actresses that were extremely funny and were either exaggerated or juxtaposed parodies of themselves was so much more effective and funnier than this film.

Ironically in the end the filming of the Cliff Beasts sequel is considered such a failure, it is turned into a documentary film instead. When In reality the film itself fails to deliver as even a meta Docu-film or to deliver many laughs.

Unfortunately The Bubble is less a comedy and more a bland and sad commentary about the truth behind the folly of Hollywood stars and the Hollywood machine.