Painkiller Jane

Having recently watched (and reviewed) the TV series (which I enjoyed, with some caveats), I still had a need for a little more Painkiller Jane. When you binge an enjoyable TV series - the characters, the experiences, the world that was created stay with you for a little bit on an emotional level.

While the TV series had drama, emotional highs/lows, emotional responses to characters (positive and negative) - this film offered none of that.

The plot was as basic as it gets. There was no drama, no sense of expectation, no layered or complex story-telling. It felt like a template for a plot that wasn't fleshed out; an idea scribbled on a napkin; an overused pun; business speak, small talk - predictable, empty.

If the plot didn't put you to sleep, the acting most certainly did. Everyone was cool, stoic, in control. Every interaction was cool, in control. No emotional ups or downs. No screaming, no fear, no sense of danger, no heavy breathing, no sweat, no drama, no problem. Just people talking to eachother. Even the secondary characters acted the same - cool, in control, above it all.

When you couple the total lack of emotional acting with a very linear predictable plot - it's like unwrapping a candy bar only to discover that it's plastic. You are left wanting.

Rating this a 5 because all the technical stuff is there (like mannequins on display or robots on an assembly line) but the film lacks any semblance of a soul. Would never watch this again not because it's horrific but because it's empty of everything that matters.