 | Genre: Action, SciFi |
If you are able to watch without feeling sick or dizzy (small screens recommended), there's plot and action to be seen. It opens up with some pornographic violence. I don't mean nudity, and I don't just mean it's gratuitous; the sheer glee with which the slow-motion neck stabbing and face smashing is shown makes me wonder if there wasn't some gore fetishist involved...
Protagonist and camera Henry takes a good close look at all the violence he witnesses and commits. Be ready for some intense fighting, some improvised surgery and a lot of shooting and stabbing. It feels like they got a special effects budget and got overexcited.
Under the nauseating motion and wanton gore, the plot... is lacking. According to the person who managed to stay in the cinema, the robotics of Henry are almost explained, but exactly zero explanation is given for the one telekinetic bad guy. The overall story is "Henry is made into a robot-man, he has to fight to the lab and avoid the bad guy" which is more of a game first mission than a full and captivating story. Shocking plot twist, the wife is not who she says she is - the 'surprise! not your wife' is basically a stock character for amnesia plots at this point.
And on the wife? Couldn't tell you her name. There is a grand total of one interesting developed character, but female characters get it a lot worse that male. At one point, we go into a brothel full of permanently naked lookie-likies whose only personality is "likes to touch penises". It's not particularly plot relevant, and most likely just an excuse to film a bunch of boobs. One is referred to as "wh*re" like that's reasonable, and minutes later they're apparently all dead. All of the stripper/sex workers. It's an inconvenience to the motorbikes-and-gun brunette madam, another stock character who probably has a name but whatever.
There's also a rape scene, or attempted rape scene, but I'm lucky enough to have been outside for that. It isn't a main character, it's not plot relevant, and it sounds like another random hyper-violence without concern for the sanity or stomach of the viewer.
As I said at the beginning, I was looking forward to this film. I've been waiting since the first trailer, and I'm thoroughly disappointed on all fronts. There's some worthwhile concepts in here, and I'd love to see them better done.
Protagonist and camera Henry takes a good close look at all the violence he witnesses and commits. Be ready for some intense fighting, some improvised surgery and a lot of shooting and stabbing. It feels like they got a special effects budget and got overexcited.
Under the nauseating motion and wanton gore, the plot... is lacking. According to the person who managed to stay in the cinema, the robotics of Henry are almost explained, but exactly zero explanation is given for the one telekinetic bad guy. The overall story is "Henry is made into a robot-man, he has to fight to the lab and avoid the bad guy" which is more of a game first mission than a full and captivating story. Shocking plot twist, the wife is not who she says she is - the 'surprise! not your wife' is basically a stock character for amnesia plots at this point.
And on the wife? Couldn't tell you her name. There is a grand total of one interesting developed character, but female characters get it a lot worse that male. At one point, we go into a brothel full of permanently naked lookie-likies whose only personality is "likes to touch penises". It's not particularly plot relevant, and most likely just an excuse to film a bunch of boobs. One is referred to as "wh*re" like that's reasonable, and minutes later they're apparently all dead. All of the stripper/sex workers. It's an inconvenience to the motorbikes-and-gun brunette madam, another stock character who probably has a name but whatever.
There's also a rape scene, or attempted rape scene, but I'm lucky enough to have been outside for that. It isn't a main character, it's not plot relevant, and it sounds like another random hyper-violence without concern for the sanity or stomach of the viewer.
As I said at the beginning, I was looking forward to this film. I've been waiting since the first trailer, and I'm thoroughly disappointed on all fronts. There's some worthwhile concepts in here, and I'd love to see them better done.
