Synopsis
America’s Future World, a sci-fi action film released in 2018, is set in a dystopian, barren world. After a cataclysm our future loses all sustainable civilization. What remains of humanity survives in separated lawless areas, governed by tyrannical warlords. The main line focuses on a young man, ‘The Prince’, who lives in one of the last oases of civilization, known simply as The Oasis. It serves as a refuge. The Prince needs to go on a perilous journey searching for medicine to save his gravely ill mother, ‘The Queen’.
The Prince’s journey leads to the complete destruction of what used to be a thriving planet. It features the savage and power hungry tyrant, The Warlord, and Ash, a sophisticated female android, who is introduced as the Warlord’s obedient enforcer. She undergoes a transformation to greater independence which leads her to rebel against her creator.
While The Prince and Ash share a common intersection, they have to face a multitude of dangers: cannibalistic gangs, rogue scientists, psychotic drug lords, and aftermath of wars and the scars of destruction. The Prince’s journey from a weaponized machine to a self conscious being is paralleled by Ash’s metamorphosis into an automatic weapon and the Prince’s development transforming from a naive child into a gritty survivor. They both need to navigate a landscape full of violence and decay not just to find redemption but also to find purpose in existence when everything around them hints towards a world that’s beyond saving.
Cast & Characters
James Franco plays the Warlord, the sadistic and unpredictable villain with a firm grasp over most of the wasteland. His merciless reign is propelled by cruelty and fear. Franco’s sadistic character sets the tone for the rest of the chaos and violence present in the movie.
Suki Waterhouse stars as Ash, the android assassin who is undoubtedly the most intriguing character in the film. One of the most powerful silent killing tools of the empire, Ash’s metamorphosis into a self aware being is by far the most emotionally impactful transition in the film.
Jeffrey Wahlberg portrays the now former Prince, the notoriously optimistic and selfless man ready to do anything for his mother’s freedom, even at the cost of his life. One of the lamest attempts at a classic coming-of-age story but set in a relentless harsh environment.
Milla Jovovich’s performance as the drug lord demonstrates her commanding presence as a parallel to the mother of an empire built upon narcotics and human trafficking. Her performance is flashy, wildly eccentric, grotesque and hyper-theatrical.
Lucy Liu plays the emotionally core character of the story as the prince’s sickly mother. Lucy manages to strikingly anchor the emotions of the stakes even in her shorter amount of time on screen alongside Macey.
Margarita Levieva plays Ash’s ally and mechanic provider as Lei, embodying the hope of trust and collaboration within a fractured world.
In his role as the Love Lord, flamboyant ruler of a brothel-like settlement, Snoop Dogg adds an unusual and fantastical layer to the grim narrative.
As a brutal henchman with a penchant for violence, Method Man makes a cameo appearance as the Tattooed Face.
Direction & Production
Future World was co-directed by James Franco and Bruce Thierry Cheung. The aim was to create a thiller with indie-post-apocalyptic vibes, capturing the essence shown in The Book of Eli and Mad Max. Unfortunately, the polished execution appears threatening toward substance and focused solely on style.
The world harshly scorched by the sun is depicted through visual means in the film. And what did Peter Zeitlinger do? Utilizing the handheld camera, he gives chaotic unpolished look to the film with the use of oversaturaded colors, strong lighting, and hand held camera work. Even though at times, it brings out the sad feelings of environmental degradation, the looks still seems incomplete and incoherent st the same time.
In the film, Toydrum composed the music that was integrated into the action and the mood through the use of electronic sound. The action throughout the film increased the music’s lack of the looks incidental factor. This newer aspect made the tone of the film rather inhbalanced.
The Future World, regardless its wounds, presents various ideas worth examining.
The character development of Ash also mirrors the post-human identity of a machine gaining consciousness, which adds to the philosopival concept of identity, autonomy, and the soul. Additionally, the decision to rebel and defend the helpless programmers of vulnerable humans suggest a deeper compelling reason for humanity.
“Collapse and Corruption” is guised by grotesque daforms of power which aids in critiquing the collapse of society. The empires of drugs alongside warlords serves the sharp demise of moral decay alongside uncontrolled wisdbdom of humans.
Crushed staked by endless world contention, the unimpaired determination posed by the Prince enlightens events of hope, in most cases believed to be never ever found. The divorce principles strikingly emitted modify the controlled region losses combined with prevail existing in the middle of hostility.
Empowerment and Objectification: Ash’s evolution from a subservient weapon to an autonomous protector intertwines with themes of socio-empowerment and objectification. Although the film does not successfully capture the essence of this concept, any attempt is bound to be noticed.
Critical Evaluation
Future World was proponent to an avalanche of negative evaluation. Critics bashed the film’s unoriginal storyline, poor pacing, and lack of coherent story structure. Drawing comparisons to Mad Max: Fury Road is unavoidable, but unlike the latter, Fury World lacks immersive worldbuilding, narrative momentum and visual harmony.
Franco’s portrayal of the Warlord has been widely critiqued for being overly theatrical and shallow. The dialogue throughout the film often crosses the bounds into overused phrases, while character motivations are absent. It is true that, in the eyes of many, some performances such as Suki Waterhouse and Milla Jovovich’s will garner some praise, but not when it comes to redeeming the narrative.
The critique of the film was not limited to its screen performances. Its production values also came under scrutiny because of the filmmakers appearing to have no immersive world building… glaringly lacking in funds, leading to repetitive set design, unconvincing special effects, and inconsistent sound editing.
On review aggregator websites, the film maintains some of the lowest scores possible for a mainstream film released during its year. It was criticized and panned by audiences as a failure, although there is now some cult appreciation for it among viewers who enjoy campy stylized dystopias.
Conclusion
Future World is a film full of promising ideas but suffers from executional failures. Its dystopic setting, exploration of identity and control, striking visuals, and attempts at post-modern commentary all suggest an underdeveloped addition to the post-apocalyptic genre. Unfortunately, lack of coherent plots, messy narrative structures, unreliable tone, cluttered ambitions, worsened over exertion on post-modernist tropes, and clichés derail the film’s intentions.
Regardless of the few redeeming elements, such as Suki Waterhouse’s commendable performance and Waterhouse’s thematic attempts, the film holds very little value amid the deluge of similar works. Dystopian fiction lovers may appreciate it but, without context, the film serves as a classic warning of a failed endeavor where style overshadows substance.
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