I did a review for this a couple of weeks back, thought would post here as well. Will copy all my AI related film reviews here also if you guys would like.
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Director: Brian A Miller
Stars: Thomas Jane, Bruce Willis, Ambyr Childers
With a budget of only ten million, one wonders how much of that was swallowed up by Willis and his ridiculous fees (leaving very little for the actual film to be made). Someone really should tell him that his days are rapidly approaching. Ok, Roy (Thomas Jane) is a cop who dislikes the 'theme-park' attraction called Vice run by Julian (Willis).
Julian created a world where anyone can go and live out their fantasies with artificials, free of the law and repercussions. Unfortunately some of these people drag this fantasy into the real world and this is why Roy is determined to shut the place down. It also seems as though it's mainly men who act out these fantasies against the female artificials. Not sure if there is some allegory there about society or not. Maybe that line of thinking is too intelligent for this film, who knows though?
Anyway, being based on Michael Crichton's novel, and this being a brainless love-child of Westworld and Surrogates, we get a ghost in the machine, or more specifically, in Kelly (Childers). Kelly goes on the run...and runs, and runs, and runs....and is chased, and chased, and chased...through fake fog...and more fake fog...and you get the idea folks. The film is so slow-paced, despite it trying to excite with gun fights. Oh yes, the gun fights. I think all the bad guys are the same actors who play stormtroopers. Nuff said there.
The plot is dire, the action is no better and neither is the direction. Willis dials his lines in (as he usually does these days) and Jane just seems to sleepwalk through it the best he can. Childers is passable with what she is given to work with. The only redeeming features are that the photography and production values are actually half-decent, but even those can't help balance what is a pretty bad and dull film. One to pass, unless you like seeing Willis turn up purely for a paycheck.
The Sage's Rating: 3/10
