Apple TV + users have a major complaint regarding the new Spike Lee film with Denzel Washington

Spike Lee’s “Haut 2 Lowst” (which Chris Evangelista has examined for / film) is a remake of the Akira Kurosawa kidnapping thriller in 1963 “High and Low”, which was, in turn, inspired by Ed McBain’s novel in 1959 “King’s Ransom”. The premise is attractive: a rich man, located in his manor at the top of a high hill, is about to conclude a lucrative trade agreement. He suddenly receives an appeal, however, that his son was kidnapped. The kidnapper wants a heavy ransom, so the tycoon immediately begins to raise the money of the ransom, openly emphasizing that the money means nothing when his son’s life is at stake. He then revealed that the kidnapper made a mistake and accidentally kidnapped the son of the Warm driver. The kidnapper still requires the same ransom, so the magnate faces a moral calculation. Does the life of his driver son are worth the same ransom? He hesitates to pay.

The second half of the story, both “High and Low” and “the highest 2 below”, implies the exchange of ransom, the reunification of the kidnapped child with their father and a prolonged and concerted effort to apprehend the kidnapper. “High and Low” ultimately concerns humility and the way in which the character of the magnate, played by Toshiro Mifune, learns to degreate wealth and to live modestly. Its wealth, you see, inspired only the resentment of the poor kidnapper. “The highest 2 the lowest”, on the other hand, replaces this humility with resolution and pride. The magnate this time – a disk manager played by Denzel Washington – is not only obsessed with wealth and status; He is also concerned about his place in the history of black music. The dissemination of the talents of black artists has been culturally significant, and it must keep its ability to do so to remain relevant.

Most criticisms liked the “2 highest low level” (it has an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), although many have also agreed that the first half of the film is random and vague, while the second half is more propulsive and significant. And criticism and the public agree: music is zero. Indeed, some of Lee’s musical choices are downright confusing, and Apple TV + subscribers record their grievances online.

A little more: Washington plays in “Highst 2 plus lowSt” as David King, a manager of the fictitious record company who was once celebrated to be a hitmaker in the early 2000s but who has since fallen on difficult times. He now aims to buy control of his record company from his partners. It is a risky decision, because no one knows if he always has the ability to find hot musicians as he did. David is convinced that he can return his business, but no one has faith that he will be able to do so. Payment of the kidnapapper ransom will ruin it essentially. But, in his mind, this will also prevent the proliferation of black artists in an already well -controlled industry. It is an interesting creation by Spike Lee.

The whole first half of the “highest 2 lower” presents all the details of David’s situation, the tension he feels about his business and the doubt that his family has. His driver, played by Jeffrey Wright, is a close friend that David saved crime and poverty. When the removal drama begins, the cops are called and rescue plans are set in motion. The kidnapper (a $ AP Rocky) calls and makes requests. All these scenes are the fodder of typical Hollywood thrillers and should move with a tense and steel determination.

But Lee, with his musical choices, drains these moments of tension. In a scene, a pack of cops (played by Lachanze, John Douglas Thompson and Dean Winters) come together to discuss the risk of the situation, and Lee plays a sweet and sweet jazz on the action. Meanwhile, Washington is accompanied by a dramatic score each time he is on the screen, as if it was the culmination of the film. This is even the case where he simply walks in his kitchen at home or simply gets out of his car.

Online reactions noticed the bad music of “the highest 2 below”. Some LetterboxD fans called the “Overboring” score and “one of the worst things” of the film. A Twitter / X user even noted that the partition looked like accidental music of an MMORPG.

The music of the film even inspired the sons on Reddit, asking if a good film can be ruined by bad music. Others have challenged the strange branched rhythm of the film, which is only exacerbated by the problems with the score. The first half of the film should be tense; After all, he deals with a hostage situation where it seems that people are in danger. Instead, Lee takes long breaks to allow David to be alone with his thoughts. It is only when the second half of the film that its rhythm begins to resume, its ideas begin to form and that it appears as a very beautiful image.

Robert Daniels wrote a very positive review of “the highest 2 lower” for Rogerebert.com, but even he admitted that the first half of the film is “a desert” and that his music is … visible. As he said, “the rhythm is laborious; the characters in the frame seem distant; the lighting and the framing seem staid and sterile; the partition lasted through each scene.” At the same time, not everyone was disrupted by the score of the film. While Stephanie Zacharek, who reviewed the film for Time magazine, said: “The magnificent score of Howard Drossin – sometimes majestic, sometimes painful – perfectly follows the changing moods of the film.”

The two radically different halves from the film are separated by an extended ransom sequence which takes place on a New York metro filled with fans of Yankees. The sequence is underlined by the music of a nearby Puerto Rican music festival, and optimistic and celebration performance offers very necessary energy to the film as a whole. After this moment, the score seems to behave. Lee is then reinvested in the material and actually emerges with something to say about renown, the changing nature of musical production and the nature of criminal resentment. “The highest 2 lower” is the best when it does not emulate “high and low”. It can be sloppy, but it’s really worth it. Just be warned that the music is a bit offbeat.

“The highest 2 lower” is now streaming on Apple TV +.