Tom Cruise’s climate satire “Digger” lands as neither innovative nor funny, a Fox News critic says, a preachy awards-season mess that fails the basic tests of satire. Fox News Digital media reporter Joseph A. Wulfsohn rates the Warner Bros. Pictures release “, SKIP IT” and calls it easily the biggest misfire of awards season. The […] The post Fox critic brands Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ an awards-season misfire worth skipping appeared first on American Almanac .
Tom Cruise’s climate satire “Digger” lands as neither innovative nor funny, a Fox News critic says, a preachy awards-season mess that fails the basic tests of satire. Fox News Digital media reporter Joseph A. Wulfsohn rates the Warner Bros. Pictures release “, SKIP IT” and calls it easily the biggest misfire of awards season. The film is in theaters now. It runs 2 hours and 9 minutes and carries an R rating for pervasive language. Legendary Pictures shares the credit with Warner Bros. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil tycoon nearly unrecognizable under heavy prosthetics. Rockwell dotes on his wealth and on Maggie, a chronically ill, robotic-like cat. The performance, Wulfsohn writes, becomes a mishmash of past Cruise…Open
What technical and production aspects of "Digger" were highlighted in the review?
The review acknowledges that the film features "stunning visuals" provided by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and a "whimsical score" by Cosmo Sheldrake. However, the critic concludes that these high-quality "craft" elements are unable to save the script, which he describes as a "climate lecture" packaged as prestige satire.
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What specific criticisms are leveled against the characters played by Sandra Hüller and Riz Ahmed in "Digger"?
The critic identifies Riz Ahmed as the only cast member who delivers a remotely compelling performance as the soft-spoken scientist Ganesh. In contrast, Sandra Hüller's character, Emma, is criticized for having screen time dedicated primarily to complaining about how the global disaster will hurt her environmental nonprofit, despite the fact that Digger funds that nonprofit anyway.
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How does the critic describe Tom Cruise's performance as Digger Rockwell?
Tom Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil tycoon who is nearly unrecognizable due to heavy prosthetics. The critic describes the performance as a "mishmash of past Cruise roles delivered in one-note yelling," noting that while Cruise took a radical departure with the role, the performance remains stuck on one note throughout the film.
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Who are the key cast and crew members involved in the production of "Digger"?
The film was directed and co-written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (director of "Birdman") and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in partnership with Legendary Pictures. The cast includes Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, John Goodman as President Compson, Riz Ahmed as the scientist Ganesh, Sandra Hüller as Digger’s half-sister Emma, Jesse Plemons, and Ross Hatt as Dr. Berg. The film also features cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and a score by Cosmo Sheldrake.
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What is the plot of the film "Digger" and what specific global disaster does it depict?
The plot centers on the costly drilling operations of Rockwell Corp in Greenland. A small crack at the drilling site escalates into an explosion, causing a massive ice shelf to break off and head toward Europe. This event creates a fear of a tsunami and mass flooding that could impact tens of millions of Europeans. In response, President Compson (played by John Goodman) and an evangelical cabinet travel to Rockwell’s remote estate to handle damage control.
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What is the critical consensus regarding Tom Cruise’s climate satire film "Digger" according to Fox News Digital media reporter Joseph A. Wulfsohn?
Joseph A. Wulfsohn rates the film "SKIP IT," calling it the biggest misfire of the awards season. He argues that while a great satire must be innovative and funny, "Digger" fails both tests, describing it as a preachy mess that fails the basic requirements of the genre. He notes that the film attempts to scold oil, money, and power but fails to provide invention or wit, ultimately functioning more as a "speech with better lighting" than actual art.
Q&A ID 5608c6db-6827-458a-a6bb-02276dd455d6