“Lucky Strike” follows a wounded American soldier who fights to survive behind enemy lines during WWII’s Battle of the Bulge against the Germans.
There are hints of immersion in “Lucky Strike.” Explosions and gunfire, or the sounds of approaching German vehicles. Close-ups of characters’ faces as terrifying scenarios occur around them. As a whole, though? There are minimal visceral qualities that come from virtually every facet — cinematography, costume design, script, performances and direction.
“Lucky Strike” opens with a black-and-white introduction, but even when color intrudes, the blandness remains. Director of photography Lorenzo Senatore evokes responses with the camerawork, yet the visuals themselves look dull. This gives the movie an unnatural aesthetic that immediately removes it from reality.
In terms of the military wardrobe itself, it’s largely accurate to the time period the film takes place in. There is a major problem, though: “Lucky Strike” never visually matches the outfits or props with the chaos of war. Despite traveling through miles of terrain filled with mud and snow (and also taking on gunfire from the Germans), the American soldier (Castle) remains in pristine condition with a tidy helmet and uniform. There are also seemingly untouched tanks and military vehicles that appear like they’ve just been pulled out of a garage.
The film is oftentimes too stereotypical for its own good, underestimating the complexities of war. Historically, there is typically a “good side” and a “bad side.” But that doesn’t mean every single person within each categorization is the exact same. In “Lucky Strike,” however, they are. In one scene, it showcases the Germans killing an entire innocent family. Next, it has Castle crash a tank just to save a dog. Then, it moves on to the Germans urinating on a dead body. There’s no moral gray area in between, keeping each side clearly separated and the movie itself devoid of tension. Because of this, it presents itself less as a period piece and more as an “America good, Germany bad” dichotomy.
Rod Lurie and Marc Frydman’s script doesn’t differentiate it from similar (and better) genre entries. It hits all the standard numbers for a survival thriller and does nothing else. Even when there are “surprises” inside, they’re easy to see coming. When the audience anticipates the final outcome before it even begins, that’s a problem. In this way, directors Todor Kotzev and Lurie do at least hit their objectives. It’s a story that viewers have seen many times before. But it’s also a story that will flourish with a specific audience.
The central performance from Scott Eastwood (Castle) isn’t able to elevate the material. Eastwood is typically serviceable as a side character, but when leading a movie, there are notable shortcomings. This is in part due to the performance alone, and also because of how the character is written.
“Lucky Strike” is a survival story that lacks thrills. The film feels like a staged Hollywood production rather than delivering the stakes of war.
Rating: 2 out of 5
