Dark Asset, 2023.
Directed by Michael Winnick.
Starring Byron Mann, Helena Mattsson, Robert Patrick, Shani Rigsbee, Sabina Gadecki, Truong Ngoc Anh, Erica Muñoz and Marc Winnick.
SYNOPSIS:
A charming guy attempts to pick up a woman in a bar by spinning a tale involving spies, implanted microchips and the dangerous military scientist hunting him. But just how much truth is there to his story…
The last time I saw Byron Mann, he was kicking Shadaloo’s ass as world warrior Ryu Hochi in 1994s Street Fighter. Here Mann is, well, just a man. A John Doe. A subject with a revolutionarily new AI chip planted in his brain that heightens perception, recognition, sensory process and muscle mass. It can also influence thoughts and actions, but at what expense to the human mind?
Chief scientist Robert Patrick is the man behind the technology that soon goes wrong, and Mann shoots his way into a dangerous quest to discover just who John is, what the chip really can be used for. Helena Mattsson is Jane, the lady who John spins his tale to. You can see where things are going within half-an-hour with a man called John Doe who just happens to bump into a lady called Jane…Doe?
What follows is a tech/action thriller that tries to use all the best bits from John Wick to Upgrade, and even Mission: Impossible. It touches upon the increasing use of A.I and what it can do in the wrong hands. But it’s nothing that’s not been touched on before with the plot of super-enhanced humans who can fight, drive and do everything else thanks to the chip. Also, much of the story is “flashback” exposition leading you up to what you’ve seen play out, but it’s all very boring and once again revolving around ordinary characters in heightened situations, none of which make for real entertainment.
The budget is identifiable due to a cheesy title sequence that looks like it comes from a 2002 James Bond PS2 video game. There is also lack of imaginative sets and locations, video-game cut scene style blue-screen and no convincing visual effects. As in, we have cheap CGI for bullet holes or glass shards, and no blood when the bad guys are shot. It’s a minor issue, but for an action film in 2020s, these little touches are evident when missed and detract from the intense experience the team are trying to create.
Granted, the cast are mostly unknowns. While Mann has a few big credits on his C.V., it’s Patrick who brings his star power to this in his limited role. It’s just a shame none of the characters are really entertaining and all cut from the same template of overly dramatic performances.
Dark Asset revolves around lots of character exposition, dramatic conversations, unconvincing espionage, slapping computer keys in desperation and lots of synth driven filler music. Sadly it fails to convince you of that dangerous world they are trying to create, because these stories are always set in peoples houses, old construction sites, empty buildings or quiet streets where filming can be carried out easily and cheaply with people wearing their own clothes and limited props/costumes.
Yet on the other hand, this IS a low-budget, independent film and for that you have to appreciate the effort from director Winnick and his team. You can’t compare it to the heavy Hollywood hitters. You can see what Winnick is trying to deliver, but it’s all a little mundane. And it will be a surprise if you make it to the final act when things try to get rewarding, but it’s too little too late.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★
Chris Gelderd
Originally published September 13, 2023. Updated September 12, 2023.
