Future Soldier (2023)

1989. Classified location.

Jump to future. 2022. Supercities a la Fifth Element - special effects impressive!

The close-up scenes are too big a contrast to the big ones though. The transitions are amazing. The title and credit rolls. The little ships in the distance. The symmetry and gloomy synergy of the future world - surprisingly few though those ships may be.

But you never see the background when they close in - rarely the sky even. It limits the effect, and the cast is notably limited especially in a world that's seemingly so expansive. Ought be crowds somewhere, but there's not a single extra for the duration of the film.

The characters are great though. There's no weak link with the cast. The cyberpunk sci-fi setting's strong as much with them as with the effects, though it's unfortunate the sets otherwise are as limited as they are.

Sometimes they're amazing. Sometimes you feel like this could've been on par with something like Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell. It certainly has the feeling!

I love the design overall.

They've got a red-head almost like Scarlet Johansson too, and a black Naruto with the goggles.

I seek resemblances to other things, but they keep it fresh really. The girl with the scars is great too, I wonder if they're natural. The scars.

Conversations do drag on a little long sometimes, you don't perceive the threat always, the special effects aren't the best always (explosions and such), but overall I'm impressed.

The fight choreography's simple but heartfelt too. The speeches get intense. The angles are right.

B-movie or no this is my kind of movie! Imagine what they could've done with a bigger budget too.

 rated 3.5/5: not bad at all