For those wondering how Jennifer Lopez managed to get cast in the lead role for this film, a role she is completely wrong for...she produced it.
Without giving one specific plot point away, it's only necessary to compare this to the Will Smith I-Robot film to know what it's about.
In I-Robot, an imperfect movie, but a box office smash, there was a damaged protagonist who hated AI (robots) and allowed it to cloud his thinking and consume his life and career. When an existential threat of true AI dominance arises, threatening human extinction, the protagonist bonds with an AI cohort, and fends off the uprising and destroys the AI central threat.
This movie really wanted to be that movie, except in space with a female lead. There is a real thing in Hollywood: you can steal a story if you change several key aesthetics. So, here we are.
There are a lot of other problems. The most visible of which is Lopez. She's the kind of actress who some time ago encountered the nadir that many actors do: her status as a celebrity eclipsed her stature as an actress, and she began performing in a very packaged and self conscious way. When you can tell an actor is thinking about how they look in a film, that's not good.
The other challenges? When a lead performer is as polarizing as Lopez there are many who will "hate watch" this, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the imminent schadenfreude. And because the plot and dialogue is weak, they'll get their wish.
It's further complicated that the director, Peyton (Andreas), is familiar enough with spectacle, but not masterful in putting together something that should be of epic scale.
Add to those obstacles the glaringly apparent lack of originality in the script or character beats, and you have a patient that is Dead On Arrival.
The script attempts to make the story of AI galactic domination relatable by focusing on Atlas's (Lopez) personal history with betrayal. Unfortunately it throws the entire weight of impending genocide out of orbit. It makes the trials of the protagonist feel small; and Lopez, not looking dirty enough or scarred enough, hits every mark we see coming from a mile away.
Mark Strong, Simu Liu and other supporting cast members are saddled with similar story, plot and dialogue problems.
What we get is another big splashy Netflix film that will be forgotten in a hurry; to be half-watched while doing chores or sitting on a plane.
Bummer.
Without giving one specific plot point away, it's only necessary to compare this to the Will Smith I-Robot film to know what it's about.
In I-Robot, an imperfect movie, but a box office smash, there was a damaged protagonist who hated AI (robots) and allowed it to cloud his thinking and consume his life and career. When an existential threat of true AI dominance arises, threatening human extinction, the protagonist bonds with an AI cohort, and fends off the uprising and destroys the AI central threat.
This movie really wanted to be that movie, except in space with a female lead. There is a real thing in Hollywood: you can steal a story if you change several key aesthetics. So, here we are.
There are a lot of other problems. The most visible of which is Lopez. She's the kind of actress who some time ago encountered the nadir that many actors do: her status as a celebrity eclipsed her stature as an actress, and she began performing in a very packaged and self conscious way. When you can tell an actor is thinking about how they look in a film, that's not good.
The other challenges? When a lead performer is as polarizing as Lopez there are many who will "hate watch" this, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the imminent schadenfreude. And because the plot and dialogue is weak, they'll get their wish.
It's further complicated that the director, Peyton (Andreas), is familiar enough with spectacle, but not masterful in putting together something that should be of epic scale.
Add to those obstacles the glaringly apparent lack of originality in the script or character beats, and you have a patient that is Dead On Arrival.
The script attempts to make the story of AI galactic domination relatable by focusing on Atlas's (Lopez) personal history with betrayal. Unfortunately it throws the entire weight of impending genocide out of orbit. It makes the trials of the protagonist feel small; and Lopez, not looking dirty enough or scarred enough, hits every mark we see coming from a mile away.
Mark Strong, Simu Liu and other supporting cast members are saddled with similar story, plot and dialogue problems.
What we get is another big splashy Netflix film that will be forgotten in a hurry; to be half-watched while doing chores or sitting on a plane.
Bummer.