The film is beautiful from the space visuals to the costuming. It's incredibly ambitious and the broader universe it creates is complex and interesting but some of the more engaging aspects of the world are underdeveloped or rushed through. This singular and creative construction may be fully formed in The Wachowskis minds but it is not completely flushed out or clear onscreen. This isn't a major detractor but it does leave a vague sense of unfulfilled possibility.
The most glaring issue with the film is the lack of chemistry between the two leads. Tatum is serviceable as the alien guardian, showing a shocking believability in this fantastical narrative which is way outside his previous experience. Kunis seems to suffer from a lack of direction, her character isn't fully formed or consistent scene to scene. We never truly invest or care about her character before she's thrust into this pedal-to-the-metal exploit. She is a passive observer in her own story, frequently seeming unaffected by the parade of wild situations she's the focal point of. This could be a flaw in her performance or a more underlining issue with the script itself.
Kunis however is no match for the absolute inappropriate insanity of Oscar nominee Eddie Redmayne as the film's villain. Redmayne gives a performance so big it would be ill-suited even for the stage. Utilizing a completely contrived muttering garbled whisper as his baseline he punctuates his evil hunching and lurking with outbursts of uncontrolled guttural madness. He is an utter caricature devoid of anything relatable or menacing.
Refreshing in its originality, commendable in its ambition, unrealized in its potential.
Rent It.
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