I was also disappointed. I don't like to say it.
A film that thinks it's grander than it actually is.
My quick and crap review.
The echoes of Star Wars A New Hope, Blade Runner, Apocalypse Now and Artificial Intelligence are clear, so clear it felt like several traced paper copies on top of each other with few small plot and character changes.
Death Star - Nomad anyone?
That's not to say it's a bad film, it's not, blending incredible special effects and integrating them almost seamlessly into locations so beautiful they take your breath away. The music is stellar, with a wonderful mix of existing music from the likes of Radiohead and Zero 7 encompassed with rousing walls of sound from Hans Zimmer. The production design is a gorgeous mix of retro futurism and cyberpunk steel & neon, exploding metal high rises evoking Blade Runner or Judge Dredd.
I actually loved the anti colonialist themes, it was refreshing ,even if they felt a tiny bit forced at times, but the central themes were justified for the most part. Heck, I'd love to live in an integrated society without such aggressors. West, East, North or South. We should all just get the **** along.
The cinematography and sound design are great, even if the image early on lacked brightness and had an incredibly frustrating lack of detail in the shadows - maybe it was my screen but I struggled to see anything really in the first 30 minutes, it was so dark and the image was a touch too soft throughout for my liking.
The big issues I have were: number 1; the lack of character depth; number 2, main lead motivation was super one dimensional and number 3; the gaping plot holes. It felt like major scenes were missing, removed or not even shot at all.
The distinct lack of character connection between the two leads - I wanted more dialogue. I just didn't feel like I cared for their cause or for them.
I wasn't expecting to be sold emotionally by the movie but I genuinely got upset in some scenes. I can't see children in distress. It breaks me.
This I found a little cheap and undeserved; the character writing wasn't so deep that it had connected with me enough to elicit such a response.
Maybe I'll enjoy it more a second time on home release. Was good but not great.
7 out of 10 for me.
Definitely go see it at the cinema.