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| Source: otakukart.com |
This action flick about a bunch of near-immortal fighters was surprisingly good. Sure, the script was slightly sloppy, leaving a few small plot holes and annoying elements, but the concept of the film was certainly quite original (the only other work it reminded me of is Sense8) and mostly well-handled. Putting Charlize Theron at the helm gave the production the heft it needed and she clearly enjoyed herself a lot (I just wish they had done a better job with her hair dye), and having Chiwetel Ejiofor as a supporting character definitely didn’t do any harm either. They both appeared to be committed to the project, too, and not just making faces at the camera because they were being paid, and their effort definitely contributed to make this more than just a cheesy action-fest. Harry Melling (Dudley from Harry Potter) re-surfaced here as well, much changed since the last time I saw him, which was on a London stage about 5 years ago. His unusual, lopsided face seems like a handicap in the acting world, but he has the talent underpinning his unique looks, which makes him actually quite an interesting actor to watch. In short, everyone did a good job.
The story had a bit more potential, but they deserve points for effort. The ending set up a sequel, which I am actually quite keen on, so obviously they recognised that there was a lot of room for more. I thought they could have delved deeper into the philosophical implications of their near-immortality, though, and a little more background on the characters would have been good. In general, the character design was one of the things where this project fell a bit short. Despite hinting at a deeper history, everyone just felt a bit flat, writing-wise. Particularly the romance between Nicky and Joe deserved more care. I like that it was integrated into the film as a completely natural thing, as nothing to make a fuss about, but it still felt a bit superficial. Maybe it was the lack in chemistry between the actors.
The technical execution of the project was competent. Netflix has certainly gotten a lot better at movie production, striking a good balance here between gritty and excessive, HBO-level kind of violence. In fact, where in previous projects, violence and gore seemed to have been just shoved in to be edgy, here they finally found a point where it seems an organic part of the movie. The visual quality of everything was quite good, except for some of the fight choreography, which was saved by the editing in some places. I loved that they spent quite a bit of time in London. Always good to see familiar places on screen. They also had an awesome soundtrack (this seems something Netflix has always been genuinely good at) even if I am missing a clear stylistic line in the music.
All in all, a good film, never boring and well-made. The only reason why I can’t give it five stars is the lack of true heart. I didn’t feel a particular emotional resonance. 4/5
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