The only thing keeping this ship afloat is an FX3.
Presentation:
The film is viral for its use of the FX3, which is an undoubtedly successful yet unnecessary publicity stunt. The only reason the movie looks good is because of the locations, but I didn’t find the grade nor image texture satisfying at all. It’s a Sony, which does fit sci-fi looks but the overall image doesn’t cut it for me. The grain in particularly was far too distracting. The production is there, just doesn’t compare to films shot on Arri.
Conclusion:
The film is an original non-franchise, which should be commended in itself. But with such a high budget, you couldn’t really expect the story to be too experimental. It’s your typical humanity vs. AI topic, which this film doesn’t offer much more to the table compared to even lower budget indie films like Artifice Girl. Movies these days seem to care more about flex than actual storytelling, usually it is with themes begging for Oscar’s but this one is flexing its sandbagged image with a camera. It’s almost narcissistic and mostly a disservice to the audience. At about 30 minutes I started to fast forward as I felt no connection to the characters, which is a shame because the little girl is quite impressive. I’m not a fan of sci-fi, but I don’t think this movie would be worth mentioning were it not shot on the FX3. If you ask me, it’s a Sony advertisement in disguise. A 15 minute movie recap is enough for this overhyped film.
Recommendations
Level 0 of the liminal basement.
Revolutions are bulletproof!
Riding sandworms into a satisfying sunset.
Space and humanity, the final frontiers.
Hackers know gun-fu.
The greatest animated sci-fi film.
The original dream heist.
Foreign languages always felt alien.
The alien movie that really started it all.
Why science fiction should exist.
Do androids dream of electric sheep?
Love still ties us together across galaxies.
A film you could only dream of.
Witness the desert wasteland!
Making Star Wars look like a distant memory, far, far away.
Phil Tippett’s nightmare fuel.
What came first, Tarkovsky or the egg?
A reason to return to IMAX theaters at light speed.
Into the artistic subconscious of a serial killer.
In 2046, no one is emotionally available.
The Matrix you didn’t know about.
The French do animation exactly as you’d imagine they would.
Chinese cinema just got serious.
Melancholia never truly passes.
A hole where love almost begins.