This movie tries to be everything and fails

Rating: 4/10 (25 September 2013)

This movie had the potential, but I think it tried to be too many things at once and fails at all of them.
Visual - with the development of the 'new world' in the sky, there was potential to develop something breathtakingly beautiful. However, any shot of the environment was just milliseconds long (ok, exaggerating), not enough to appreciate it. It did not explore the environment enough to give you a sense of how it was like in the new world.
Drama - any drama or relationship in the movie felt forced and mostly very cliché. You kinda get the sense of how it will end. It also felt very rushed, nothing lingers long enough for you to understand their motivations and does not make you relate to any of the characters.
Character development - with the various characters and the diversity seen in the film, one would expect something good. With excellent actors thrown into it, especially Jodie Foster, it was a let down. You get a sense of the possibilities there, but walk out of the theater feeling unfulfilled. Characters were simplified and presented from just one angle, there wasn't enough time to explore deeper each character. The diversity was a good one and not really seen in other movies, but the accents they did was more of a distraction. I was quite focused on how Foster (and various other characters) was pronouncing words rather than focusing on the subject itself.
Action - this is the only thing that fared fairly well in this movie. You have the hero and the villain, and the battles between them. Although the characters may be cliché, some of the weapons and tactics were somewhat unexpected, so this can fulfill the audience's need for some action. Matt Damon was good for his action skills, predictable.
Overall, you can give this movie a miss. It was overly ambitious but likely done with limited budget. The big names did not add any weight to this movie, in fact, felt like a waste of their talents. It became cliché and predictable throughout the movie. The CGI and action in this movie was alright, but might not necessarily be enough to recommend it.