Written by: David Koepp and Christopher McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman (screenplay by), Jon Spaihts andAlex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet (screen story by)
Directed by: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jake Johnson, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Courtney B. Vance, Russell Crowe
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Profile Page
Plot
A small covert group of immortal mercenaries fight to keep their team together when they discover the existence of a new immortal, and their extraordinary abilities are exposed.
Verdict
This relies on concept and action. Neither are very compelling. This is a take on super heroes, but it ignores the most interesting aspect. The plot is held together just by action sequences. This touches upon an interesting concept of how society benefits from super heroes, but doesn't expand on it effectively. Concurrently the super heroes becomes jaded, unaware of how their actions benefit the world and tired of hiding.
It depends.
Review
Based on the comic book series created by author Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernández, it feels like there's a lot more to this story that we don't see.
The introduction to their powers is great, aided by CGI. The team is ambushed, shot, and killed. Then they heal and reanimate, eliminating their enemies. The movie felt generic up to this point. This is a team of mercenaries on a job to help. The fantasy element makes this different from the typical action movie.
No explanation is provided as to why a select group is immortal, yet somehow they are linked through dreams. When a new recruit discovers her powers, the known immortals see her in their dreams. Andy is their leader as the oldest living person. Her goal is to help the world and remain a secret.
There's a crazy CEO that is hunting the immortals for the genetic benefit. The CEO is a terrible villain because it's cookie cutter and bland. If this was a cheesy movie, that character might work. Instead it's a placeholder character.
The movie finally taps into something interesting when we see what Andy (Charlize Theron) has done over the millennia. She's saved many lives and the world reaps the benefit generations later either when the saved grows up or through their descendants. I don't want this to be pay it forward, but there's an interesting connection between trying to do good and becoming jaded with finally seeing what your actions have generated.
Unfortunately there isn't much else to this movie. This idea is introduced but not developed. It falls into a typical plot with the new recruit having to save Andy
The action isn't bad, but the John Wick series has raised the bar so high that standard action doesn't cut it anymore. Unfortunately the dialog is boring. The action strings together the concept, and that is constrained by a typical action movie plot. The only twist is that the stakes aren't money or saving the world, but the mercenaries themselves.
One scene notable scene shows two of the immortals captured and detained. The security detail mocks them for being a couple. The couple reinforces how much they love each other. It's great to see super heroes as passionate and expressing emotion, not having to be macho or downplay feelings. These guys are both powerful and aware of their feelings.
This fails to capture the sheer boredom of being alive for so long. The television series New Amsterdam began to capture that, but it was helped by having the length of a series. We're told these guys are jaded and tired, but that doesn't communicate just how long forever is.
This could have ended on a nice scene with the immortals looking back at the good they've done as we've seen them struggle with living for so long. Instead we get a setup for a sequel, "Let's get to work." If that wasn't enough, the next scene is a complete cliff hanger. A movie with slightly above average action and below average writing touting a sequel is arrogant and misguided.
No comments :
Post a Comment