GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE - - Everything AI All At Once

Review by Adam Donato

It’s been almost a decade since the last time Gore Verbinski directed a movie. One could easily label the man as washed. The Cure for Wellness was a failure and The Lone Ranger was a disaster. Far back in the rearview mirror are his Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring, and Rango successes. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is an original screenplay written by Matthew Robinson, most recently known for penning Love and Monsters. Sam Rockwell leads the way with a fun supporting cast in this zany science fiction action comedy. 

AI is inescapable in today’s society. Art is a reflection of the real world and so movies have turned their attention to AI as well. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die continues this trend as the entire plot is centered around the pursuit to destroy an all powerful, anti human artificial intelligence that will ruin the future. The film covers topics like an over reliance on technology and a desensitization towards tragic violence. The tone is kept light through dark humor on the subject. Those who feel over exposed to the discussion of AI will be weighed down by the film. That being said, the themes the film is trying to convey are justified and hard hitting.

It’s hard not to look at this film in the context of Gore Verbinski’s career and think that he would’ve loved to cast Johnny Depp in the lead role two decades ago. There’s shades of Jack Sparrow in Sam Rockwell’s Man from the Future. His character has travelled back in time dozens of times to find the right combination of diner patrons to join him on his mission to take down the AI. This Groundhog Day type scenario allows Rockwell to be curiously all knowing and eccentrically goofy since he can reset at any time. Rockwell’s performance is fun and charming as he ushers the audience through this adventure. The post Oscar career for Rockwell has certainly been an interesting one. A couple awards hopeful projects right after Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but the last five years has been mostly The Bad Guys duology and the ultimate flop Argylle. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die definitely fits the fun vibe of the last two films, but is on the high end in terms of quality all around. 

The team of destined heroes on the adventure is a fun group. Standouts would include Haley Lu Richardson, who was most notably one of the girls locked up in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split. She gets quite a meaty role here where she’s able to do a variety of things. Juno Temple has been most known lately for her successful television work with Ted Lasso and Fargo. A few characters on the team are given cutaway backstories to establish their reasoning for accepting the call to action. Temple’s story is equal parts heartbreaking, hilarious, and thematically heavy. Michael Pena and Zazie Beetz play a struggling couple and their story is mostly comedic. Peña in particular is underrated in the comedy department. It’s reminiscent of his role in Ant Man where his character is easily the funniest of the bunch in his brief time to shine. 

While Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die doesn’t quite reach the heights of Verbinski’s 2000’s work, it is still a fun time with things to say. He’s a welcome sight after a long hiatus from the director’s chair. Rockwell and friends make for a fun gang to embark upon this journey. Seldom do movies have quite this much personality. Not everything works, but it’s a fun experience and will give audiences something to think about. 

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is in theaters February 13th!

Rating: 4/5