Kevin Hart's 'Lift' Not the Next James Bond: Here's Why

The Misconception

Kevin Hart's Lift was initially thought to be a James Bond movie. Lift is a Netflix heist movie that features a team of thieves as they conduct a mission to steal gold. In the process, they hope to prevent a terrorist attack. Unfortunately for the thieves, the gold happens to be in transport on a jet, leaving them with no choice but to steal the entire plane. The movie coupled its high stakes with a massive budget of $100 million. As the quest to find the new James Bond continues, Hart's efforts have been dedicated to Lift. Surprisingly, however, the people of Venice happened to assume that the two were connected. In an interview with Metro, Hart and his co-star, Abby Gladwell, revealed that people assumed that they were just filming the next Bond. While Gladwell corrected them, Hart saw it as an opportunity to promote his movie.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Kevin Hart walk in a park in Lift

Abby Gladwell: When we were filming in Venice, I’m running along the canal and some tourists were saying to the crew, “Is this new Bond movie?” I was jumping into a boat like, “It’s Lift, you’ll hear about it in a year!” Kevin Hart: 'No, it’s Lift! Just make sure you go and you stream it. It’s Lift, it’s not Bond! It’s not!'

Is Lift Like A James Bond Movie?

Like any Bond movie would be, the Lift cast is filled with stars. Hart, Gladwell, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Avatar's Sam Worthington all play central roles in the movie. It also features extensive locations, including Venice, Belfast, and England. Considering that and the action-packed scenes featuring fighting, shooting, and clever gadgets and tricks, it would be easy to mistake Lift for James Bond's next adventure.

There are some important differences, however. Unlike the extremely serious Bond, the characters in Hart's newest movie regularly crack jokes with one another. Because the movie is an action comedy, it never quite feels as serious as one of Bond's thrilling adventures. The team also lacks the institutional support of MI6, instead borrowing help from several different agencies. Additionally, it is much more of an ensemble cast than the Bond movies ever are.

Lift was released on Netflix on January 12 and is currently available for streaming. There are many more differences than similarities between Bond and Lift. While there are some traits that they both share, these are largely elements that will appear in any action thriller movie. Shooting, gadgets, and clever plans are central aspects of heist movies in general. No matter how confused the people of Venice were during filming, Lift is a distinct movie and doesn't borrow much from 007.