Elephant in the room

Rating: 6/10 (26 March 2017)

The plot concept is excellent, casting of Rea and Dance is inspired. However the script seems to have evolved around Speedman's exclusion, and the workarounds to disguise his absence actually draw attention to it. Unfortunately, the CGI has become intrusive in this third installment. Having watched a "making of" documentary for the second installment, in which the producers and film makers detailed the lengths they went to to minimise CGI and to maintain authenticity, the reliance on CGI is disappointing. However the CGI is poorly executed and intrusive on numerous occasions to the detriment of the story. I understand the compulsion for action sequences, but these should complement and advance the story. The character of Eve is underdeveloped and her fight scenes are absurd. The imbalance is laughable, as are the efforts to appeal to a younger audience. Theo, Theo, I guess it offered plenty of screen time... but your rebellious teen dialogue... at some point you need to move on from this cliché. Having worked the story around Speedman's absence, somehow they have decided to keep him alive and the continuation of this saga now rests on his availability for the next installment. Fingers crossed.