| Howdy Pirates of The Galaxy!
I've read the reviews here and on IMDb, the good, the bad and the ugly, and decided to take it for a spin, to see if it's as good (or as bad) as people are saying. Here are a few random thoughts for anyone who is still on the fence: First, and most importantly, this is not a wild, shoot 'em up action thriller. If that's what you were hoping for, you should pass on this one. Superbikemike is right about that. It's more of a sentimental drama than a splashy sci-fi thriller. Having said that, there is a fair amount of suspense, some decent FX and a very good story, if you are patient and wait for it to unfold.
Tom Hanks plays 'Finch' - a man who is slowly dying of radiation poisoning, and he knows it. Add his beloved dog into the mix, a post-apocalyptic hell-scape and a robot with A.I. whom he built to take care of said dog after he's dead, and that's the gist of the plot. The movie focusses heavily on the bond that develops between Finch and 'Jack', his robot. And yes, some of the dialogs can be a bit long and tedious, but if you pay attention and resist the temptation to fast-forward, this evolves into a touching and bittersweet masterpiece. It's an emotional rollercoaster, at times sad and full of despair, but also hopeful and uplifting toward the end. Lots of funny bits as well. For me, the man-robot-dog chemistry worked. But some people don't like touchy-feely movies. Fair enough. You've been warned: there's a fair amount of touchy-feely in this flick. Cut to the chase: Based on Tom Hanks' brilliant performance as Finch - and the ability of this film to evoke a strong emotional reaction, I'm rating it 9/10. Audio and video are both excellent. End credits begin to roll at 1 hour and 47 minutes. Loved how they tied up the opening and closing of the film with Don McLean's 1971 one-hit wonder: American Pie, although Hanks should probably stick to acting and forget about a career as a singer. To summarize: For sentimental types, this will be a love-fest. For adrenalin junkies who demand non-stop action and instant gratification, not so much.
Thanks, GalaxyRG. 🥂 |