I.S.S.

Great concept for a story. I found it to be original and exciting. The acting (outside of the zero G) was quite good and I was really drawn in by each of the performances. However, the zero G effects were so bad and it kept pulling me out of the story. It doesn't take an expert to realize just how lazy this production got with ensuring even a hint of accuracy. If this story took place in a near future where artificial gravity was established, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Or I would have enjoyed this movie more as an audio book or audio drama so I could use my imagination of what it looked like. But the visuals were so distracting and disappointing. The story was good and an interesting and original concept that I would have enjoyed if I could have focused.

I love sci-fi. I love original non-franchise movies. The combination of the two are becoming increasingly scarce. I want these movies to succeed so Hollywood will continue to invest in them. But like with The Creator and 65, we have another failed attempt.

This movie is all over the place. So much of it feels off. The characters are extremely stupid. They make so many questionable decisions. It's just poor writing, which is also likely the reason I could barely get invested in the story.

There are also some questionable sci-fi elements. I caught a couple mistakes with the zero-G. And it was frequently noticeable that they were hanging, not floating. It was ambitious to attempt zero-G scenes for the entire runtime, but like much of this movie, it feels off.

There is also something major that only happens because an astronaut doesn't follow one of the most basic safety procedures, something even a regular movie fan like me would know. They mention it but never explain why that basic procedure wasn't followed.

Another reason I think this movie fails is the performance by lead actress Ariana DeBose. I found it flat and bland. She does not seem like leading role material. I assumed she was a newbie, but she has a decent filmography. It's mostly musicals (which I don't watch), but apparently she won an Oscar, which is shocking to me.

I was looking forward to watching a new movie in theaters opening night. But with this one, it was so unsatisfying that I decided to see another movie right after, unplanned. And it worked out because Godzilla Minus One is drastically better in every way. Watch that instead.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 1/18/2024)

It's a very interesting premise, not one I recall being done. Astronauts from different superpower countries are up in space while world war 3 essentially breaks out down on earth. Problem is it lacks tension and intensity. We didn't get time to get acquainted properly with each of the characters, as well as their connections between each other. Although the film invests initial moments in character development, it falls short in getting a genuine attachment to any of the six characters for me.

However, there's a couple minutes in the movie when the war down below starts, a brief moment when the trust between Russian and American scientists disappears after they both receive orders but don't know if their counterparts also got the exact same ones. While this brings a brief sense of tension, it dissipates quickly, leaving the overall impression of the movie feeling rather meh. Also wouldn't other countries also be on the ISS?

'Gravity' with Sandra bullock was a compelling movie that this one reminded me of. This tries to evoke a sense of claustrophobia, but I didn't feel it. I mean yeah there's the evident spatial constraints and the characters confined to a limited number of rooms, but the film struggles to convey this effectively on screen. Felt very slow, I was aching for it to move on and just get to the end. It's just not much of a memorable watch. The "so do I" line was satisfying though.

Maybe I know too much about space but this felt incredibly unbelievable. Like the things they do make no sense, it's really rushed and the plot has too many competing factors that don't get enough attention. Also why is there only 2 countries on the ISS, it's literally a global initiative!! It just felt like someone didn't do their homework on how ISS runs to make a believable story. Like none of the characters felt developed, it seemed like none of them knew any skill besides 'science' and no one actually uses the science they are suppose to be on the station for to actually fight against each other. Again it just felt empty and it was such a good idea.

The premise of the movie is great, but some poor decisions in the script ruined the movie for me. This could've been a very good, Hitchcockian suspense thriller. Instead, they give away too much too soon, and make every action too predictable. There is some suspense, but it does not pervade the entire film; it is only intermittent. The characters are not very complex at all, and the viewer isn't very vested in any of them by the time things turn sour. As for the ending, I'm not sure what they were going for there.

I was really expecting more from this movie, but left very disappointed. Not the worst I've seen this year, but it also could've been one of the best.