Future Soldier, 2023.
Written and Directed by Ed Kirk.
Starring Sean Earl McPherson, Yasmine Alice, Ellie Pickering, Ian Curd, Adam Fox, and Sarah Whitehouse.
SYNOPSIS:
In the future 2002 AD, bounty hunter Captain Mo Harrington finds himself pulled into a sinister conspiracy.
Who doesn’t love a good cyberpunk story? The neon backdrop of a futuristic dystopian city will always draw in audiences purely based on its aesthetic. Sure, there have been some pretty terrible movies set in the dystopian future, but as we don’t need to tell you, there have been so many greats in said subgenre that also happen to be among the best movies ever made.
Whilst Future Soldier doesn’t quite make it top tier, it’s still however, a great addition into the cyberpunk subgenre, delivering a compelling watch from start to finish. Although its story and characters are fairly simple and pretty cookie cutter, the film’s stunning aesthetic, solid performances and exhilarating action will have you hooked.
Future Soldier succeeds in its cyberpunk aesthetic, and the movie’s smaller budget isn’t heavily felt. The set design, costume design and CG all work in tandem to make an authentic dystopian future that compares to the polish of that of 2012’s Dredd. The movie doesn’t tread any new ground, but it doesn’t need to. It leans into pretty much every action movie and sci-fi movie trope under the sun, and allows for a still entertaining and familiar watch, although the story sadly lacks any layers and every twist and reveal feels fairly underwhelming and very predictable.
However, it’s Future Soldier’s action that will and should draw in its audience. Whilst the choreography isn’t exactly a showcase of flashy martial arts, the beautiful cinematography and commitment in physicality from its actors make for some truly exhilarating action scenes. A particular stand out is the brilliantly executed hallway/kitchen oner, which is very reminiscent of iconic single-shot hallway fights of the past. The choreography is brutal and the editing makes the action feel much more fluid.
The characters, without being incredibly layered, are compelling enough. None of the characters will stick in your mind after the movie is over, yet the cast will keep you engaged. From being wholly badass, deviously evil or just being effective comic relief, Future Soldier’s characters will undoubtedly enhance audiences experience with the movie. Although some performances and moments of dialogue delivery leave something to be desired, these are few and far between, and as a whole the cast deliver.
One of the major critiques of Future Soldier however is its music. The music itself isn’t the issue, it’s how loud and how often the same music is played. Occasionally, it may be hard to hear some pieces of dialogue, forcing audiences to miss important moments. Likewise, there are many scenes that use the movie’s music which would have benefitted much more without it.
All in all, Future Soldier is a compelling dive into the dystopian future that shines in its action and cyberpunk aesthetic. The overabundance of music, simple story, plain characters and occasional performances hold the movie back, but not by much. Future Soldier should do more than enough to satisfy fans of the action genre and the cyberpunk subgenre.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Olly Dyche
