Overall Thoughts: Hanks tries to elevate, but sci-fi flick is too slow and downbeat.
Tom Hanks? Check. A sci-fi movie in the style of Amblin Entertainment's 80's heyday? Check. An adorable dog sidekick? Check. A lowkey, heartfelt pitch? Check-a-roo. A character-driven approach to a story that's sure to win over critics? Check-a-mundo. It sounds like all the right ingredients for a new classic from Hollywood, right? And, with the trailer, I was thinking this would be in serious consideration for one of my Top 10 films of the year, similar to Hanks' last film, Greyhound (which also went to AppleTV+).
Boy, was I wrong. In terms of expectations, Finch might be the biggest disappointment of 2021. And, actually, it's not really because of most of the questions I asked earlier (though, it isn't an original concept by a long shot). It's because the film ended up being more of a chore to watch than I expected. And it's because of two major problems this film has that makes it a tough sell and difficult to engage.
First, the film is downright depressing. The script tries to insert levity here and there, but it doesn't generate sincere laughs or provide enough distraction from the doom and gloom on display here. Hanks' character simply accepts his fate and the Earth's fate, and takes everyone down with him. In the first 30 minutes, I kept checking the time because it wasn't becoming fun or engaging at all. And about halfway through, I thought about turning it off.
Second, the film moves at a snail's pace almost throughout. After 30 minutes, there's a couple of scenes that help advance the story, and the ending does carry a couple of slightly hopeful moments to keep things going. However, the film is often too talky in its' approach to the characters' relationship. And, things move a little too slow in trying to develop it.
That being said, the film does sincerely develop the bond between Finch and his robot, Jack. Jack, as a motion-capture creation, does work pretty well in a few areas. Caleb Landry Jones' voicework here is solid, and he even manages to imitate Hanks' vocal expressiveness pretty well. As Finch himself, Hanks tries really hard to elevate the material. And he is given a handful of strong moments. However, he is weighed down by a too-pessimistic script.
The overall production design carries some strong practical effect touches here and there, including a pretty enticing opening shot. The music score has a few moments that wink at "Amblin's 80's heyday". Seamus is as adorable as you would expect as the dog, Goodyear. Meanwhile, one other robot character tries a little too hard to be R2-D2 or BB-8, I would say.
In the end, Finch had so much potential. Hanks is good as usual. Yet, in the end, its' too dreary, unoriginal, and long in its' execution to really be worthwhile.
Grade: C-
Is this movie family-friendly? Finch is rated PG-13 for "brief violent images". Earning the rating are a couple of shots of gunfights in the distance, and a few moments where Finch coughs up blood due to serious illness. In another notable instance, Finch is shown naked from the side in the shower towards the beginning of the film (critical areas are hidden from the camera's view). There are discussions on death, and Finch does die at the end. Language-wise, there's four uses of the s-word, two of "d***" and one "h***". In the end, this is a cleaner PG-13 film, but I would not recommend it for kids due to a slow pace and very emotional moments.
Grade: C-
Is this movie family-friendly? Finch is rated PG-13 for "brief violent images". Earning the rating are a couple of shots of gunfights in the distance, and a few moments where Finch coughs up blood due to serious illness. In another notable instance, Finch is shown naked from the side in the shower towards the beginning of the film (critical areas are hidden from the camera's view). There are discussions on death, and Finch does die at the end. Language-wise, there's four uses of the s-word, two of "d***" and one "h***". In the end, this is a cleaner PG-13 film, but I would not recommend it for kids due to a slow pace and very emotional moments.
