Director: Rodrigo H. Vila
Year: 2018
Rated R
Rating: * Star
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Harvey Keitel
Narration from an unrecognizable Hayden Christensen that feels as if it was lifted from Harrison Ford circa 1982. Co-star Harvey Keitel saying his lines as if he were reading them from cue cards. Cringe-worthy dialogue, obvious Pink Floyd references, a tired Mexican standoff, and acting that screams straight-to-video. Interior dig shots so dark and droll, you can't see what the heck is going on. Doofus side characters that look too much alike. It's all here in The Last Man (my latest review). Once is the "last" time I plan on seeing The Last Man. Sadly it's the Ishtar of science fiction endeavors. Natch!
Anyway, "Man" takes place in the future and was filmed in Argentina. Its musical score is decently apocalyptic while its look is rainy, thundered, and ho-hum dystopian. As for The Last Man's story, well it's about a combat veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder. With advice from an old-timer street prophet, he decides to prepare for the end of days. Somewhere Rick Deckard is viewing this flick while dreaming of unicorns and deciding whether or not he is openly human. And somewhere Malcolm McDowell's Alex DeLarge is getting his eyeballs dilated as he views some morbidly sadistic images.
The Last Man, which comes off like a nowhere version of Blade Runner without any Philip Marlowe protocol, feels self-serious, tedious, and badly mean-spirited. You can even add a muted version of 1995's Strange Days and A Clockwork Orange for faux inspiration. Basically, "Man" rivals these movies yet doesn't have any real cinematic reason for existing. "Man's" director (Rodrigo H. Vila) forcefully plagiarizes his vision, there's some absurd beatings, lead Christensen mumbles his way through the proceedings, "Man" stumbles incredibly in its way-out narrative, and the flick announces itself as a jaded poster child for PTSD (mentioned earlier).
Bottom line: The Last Man is the most non-sensed form of sci-fi drivel I've seen in many a moon. It belongs in the Best Buy "trash bin". Rating: 1 star.
Written by Jesse Burleson
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