Is the Netflix Movie ‘Bright’ Basically Diet Shadowrun Soda?

December 26, 2017

Many mainstream critics, including David Ehrlich at Indiewire.com are hailing “Bright” as the worst movie of the year! Heck, before I watched it, I thought I’d hate it being it seemed on the surface to be a complete Shadowrun ripoff. Turns out the Netflix movie is actually a solid effort in which critics such as Mr. Ehrlich may simply be defending the outdated theatre business model.

According to businessinsider.com, “younger audiences are becoming more interested in streamable content.” Bright is a fine example of why Hollywood studios are being shaken up and if they don’t adapt they may leave vacant office spaces up and down the boulevard. Netflix, Hulu, etc. are more than the future of the business, they are today’s reality.

But the question remains:

Is the Netflix movie “Bright” basically diet Shadowrun soda?

Bright is basically a Shadowrun-skinned movie that tech wise is comparative to the Awakening era of Shadowrun’s history. This modern day, low-tech setting when compared to the 2080’s cyberpunk era is not enough of a difference as far as originality is concerned. Or is it? My friends, Bright stands on the shoulders of giants. Let’s face it: Bright is basically a low-tech, low-magic Shadowrun flick where the metahumans have been around for thousands of years.

That being said, who doesn’t love all things Shadowrun? I’ll say it again: this is a good movie. If you were to take Shadowrun, Lord of the Rings, D&D, Alien Nation, and every buddy cop movie ever made and put them in a blender you’d have yourself a Bright smoothie. Stir it up with three wands to bring back the dark lord and sprinkle it with modern references such as “faerie lives matter” and you’ve got real fusion.

This flick is a gem. A gem that if only one facet is looked upon it very well may shine a light into your eyes that will easily make you scream “Shadowrun ripoff!” Expand your horizons and you will see that this film stands on the shoulders of giants much as D&D does with Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, dare I say it, builds upon a Star Trek-like setting.

Will Smith did a fine job of well, you know, playing Will Smith. However, the true breakthrough performance was hammered home by Joel Edgerton who played Jakoby, the orc cop who did an amazing job of making you feel emotionally invested in his character. I really rooted for Jakoby and let’s be honest, we’ve all felt like him at some point in our lives.

Of course not to be overlooked is the powerful cameo Joe Rogan pulled off at the beginning of the film. The surreal setting was perfect for Rogan and left me wanting to see him in a bigger role. Quite the tease for us Joe Rogan Experience fans!

What it boils down to is sure, from the outside looking in this looks like a Shadowrun knockoff. Some might call Bright a diet Shadowrun soda. And let’s face it, many gamers feel the film is intended to be set in a Shadowrun like setting. Just ask Matt Staggs at Unboundworld.com:

“The ‘Bright’ trailer also reminded me of the cult classic tabletop role-playing game Shadowrun.” – Matt Staggs

For the record let’s be clear: there was NO Shadowrun licensing arrangement so make of that what you will. Nevertheless, this was still an entertaining popcorn movie even though we just barely caught a glimpse of a dragon and it had no half-elves or cyberpunk weaved within the screen time. Is it ethical to borrow from Shadowrun as if their intellectual property were public domain? Who knows? I’m not a lawyer. Check it out and let me know what you think. Just remember to look at the big picture this film brings to the table. Did Netflix critical
glitch? I leave that for you to decide.

From the Nerditor’s desk

Did you watch Bright? What did you think about the film? The Shadowrun comparison gets mentioned quite a bit out there – do you think it’s reminiscent of the setting, or would you love to see a full-blown film or live action series in that setting? Let us know in the comments below and as always, stay nerdy!

Also, if you’re interested in playing some Shadowrun roleplaying game, check out DriveThruRPG’s selection of Shadowrun content for the classic game. There’s a ton of material available for download over there, and you can use Nerdarchy’s exclusive coupon code for a one-time 10 percent discount on any order over $10. Enter the coupon code DTRPG-Nerdarchy for that discount, which applies to digital products only (no print-on-demand products for use with this code.)

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