2067

(director/writer: Seth Larney; screenwriter: Dave Paterson; cinematographer: Earle Dresner.; editor:  Sean Lahiff; music: Kenneth Lampl, Kirsten Axelholm; cast:  Kodi Smit-McPhee Ethan Whyte), Ryan Kwanten (Jude), Sana’a Shaik (Xanthe), Deborah Mailman (Regina Jackson), Finn Little (Young Ethan Whyte), Aaron Glenane (Richard Whyte), Andy McPhee (Desperate Worker); Runtime: 114; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Lisa Shaunessy, Jason Taylor, Kate Croser; RLJE; 2020-Australia)

“It serves as another misfire for a “hero’s journey” space film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Visual effects supervisor Seth Larney (“Tombiruo”) directs this low-budget B-indie. It’s a flat but ambitious futuristic sci-fi film that’s mostly whack. It serves as another misfire for a “hero’s journey” space film. It’s familiar as a dystopian time-travel film with a trite script, as co- written by Larney & Dave Paterson as if suffering from jet lag. The atmospheric but preposterous sci-fi film packs too many cliches into one time machine for comfort, as it revolves around a climate crisis which causes a dangerous shortage of oxygen. The people survive only on synthetic oxygen, whose bad side effects mean a slow death to the population.

An unknown party sends a message from the future, requesting that the blue-collar utility worker, our hero, Ethan Whyte (Kodi Smit-McPhee), be shot forward 400 years in time using some makeshift low-tech laughable looking time machine. The robotic-like functioning chief technology officer of the company called Chronicorp, Regina Jackson (Deborah Mailman), relays the message to Whyte. When the worker hems and haws over the assignment, the chief reminds the underling that he has a sick wife (Sana’a Shaik) and tells him “You may be your wife’s only chance.” Well, it looks like Ethan will have to save the world, like it or not.

Kodi Smit-McPhee is not up to the starring role and puts in a tired performance. Meanwhile Whyte’s friend Jude (Ryan Kwanten) seems like merely a macho caricature along only for the ride.

2067 messages us in a typical nonsensical superhero way about a “chosen one” coming to the rescue to save the dumb-assed world. I’ve seen this type of picture many times before, and most stunk. The director suggests some kind of miracle or a special person is needed to be a hero or some luck is needed to win the day.

REVIEWED ON 11/29/2020  GRADE: C-