By Glenn Kay, For the Sun
Rating: 1.5 out of 4
Running Time: 100 minutes
This motion picture from Amazon MGM Studios opens exclusively in theaters (with some presentations in 3D and IMAX) on Friday, Jan. 23.
Making a movie that incorporates the latest in screen technology and social media has always been difficult. So much so that it’s hard to think of a movie that has done it exceptionally well (Searching comes to mind as one of the only passable efforts). The latest movie to attempt this more-often-than-not troublesome technique to create dynamic thrills is Mercy. What it ends up doing, unfortunately, isn’t different from other problematic efforts. It leaves viewers at an emotional and physical distance. There isn’t much to enjoy in watching a seated character staring at one large screen while watching other screens in a largely vacant room.
This story is set in a crime-ridden future where the program Mercy has been developed for use in criminal trials. A.I. serves as judge, jury and executioner, sentencing death to anyone who cannot cast some doubt within 90 minutes as to their culpability.
It all begins with LAPD Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) awakening to find himself strapped to a chair. A large screen reveals A.I. Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson), who tells Raven that he is being tried for the slaying of his wife (Annabelle Wallis) earlier in the day. Shocked and without any memory of his partner’s death, he insists upon his innocence. In order to save his life, Raven is permitted to contact friends on the force, like partner Jacqueline “Jaq” Diallo (Kali Reis), as well as a few of his wife’s co-workers (Chris Sullivan and Rafi Gavron) and daughter Britt (Kylie Rogers). The hero attempts to piece together what happened and potentially find the real killer.
As noted, the majority of interaction is between Raven and the A.I. Judge Maddox. The program has access to all phones, cameras, and electronic media around the city. Raven is initially reluctant to engage or admit to personal faults, like his drinking problem and less-than-stellar behavior as a husband. But as the ticking clock continues counting down, he asks partner Jaq to show him the crime scene and help develop leads. Raven is forced to open up about his failures and understand his wife’s motivations for acting out against him. And as for Maddox, the program is initially a stiff and cold adjudicator resistant to accept any evidence contradicting the charges, but it begins to show a few signs of humanity and understanding as other possibilities emerge.
This would be interesting to watch if the characters or any of the drama was in any way convincing. But, as charismatic as the two main performers have been in other titles, they don’t gel onscreen here. The dialogue is remarkably clumsy and stiff (even for the A.I. program), and there is almost no rapport between the main characters. Their discussions lack any sort of dramatic spark, either as enemies or later when they begin to develop a mutual respect for each other. The movie also overplays the drama, with every bit of new information or character turn scored with an exaggerated musical sting.
And as the film lays out increasingly sillier and sillier twists that suggest a grander plot, it all becomes nearly impossible to buy into. Even the overall message of the picture comes across as confused. In attempting to involve the A.I. program in the investigation and even depict Maddox assisting the protagonist in later sections of the story, it seems as though the movie is suggesting that a state of complete and inescapable surveillance might be good for us all. One hopes this wasn’t the actual intention of the feature.
The movie was screened for press in 2D, but it is being shown in some markets in 3D and on IMAX screens. It’s hard to imagine this title benefitting from an extra dimension. Much of the footage involves the lead character sitting and watching body cams and cell phone footage. Although these screens may be floating around the protagonist and his chair with a sense of depth, it’s unlikely to add a visual wallop to the proceedings.
In the end, this film doesn’t thrill. In fact, the only Mercy given to viewers is at the close when the credits finally roll.
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