A disappointment

Rating: 3/10 (22 September 2014)

Given the pedigree of the director of this film (notably GATTACA which I'd rate as one of the best science fiction films ever made and criminally overlooked), I really expected more.
The production is very much in the same mould - the 'future' world is understated, in many ways a retro-styled present day bereft of any CGI or flashy special effects. That's in keeping with the high concept underpinnings of the film, which much like GATTACA is based on extrapolating the ramifications on human living of a development of medical science.
So far, so good and it certainly seems to hold promise initially. Unfortunately the subtlety of the earlier film is quickly lost as the plot leads not toward a considered analysis of social implications, but instead a heavy handed adventure thriller which succumbs to a misguided appeal to popularism (or perhaps its stars' vanity), by becoming a melodramatic action-flick.
I can't lay too much blame at the feet of Tiberlake, Murphy and the rest of the cast as the material really doesn't lend itself to credible performance from its cast.
I find myself left to ponder if this is one of those pieces of cinema which started out as something which would have been thoughtfully considered and delivered a genuine emotional resonance, that was then ruined by the desires of producers, actors or other influence to present something which might attract a greater box-office. In the end the effect was just to butcher something of potential into a dog's breakfast of an offering that satisfies as neither a piece of escapist entertainment, nor a work making serious points about serious issues.