Today’s quick review: 2307: Winter’s Dream. Three hundred years in the future, a worldwide ice age has driven humanity to the brink of extinction, forcing them to rely on the labor of genetically modified beings known as humanoids. In what remains of Arizona, Commander Bishop (Paul Sidhu), a soldier using drugs to mourn the death of his wife, is called back in to hunt down ASH-393 (Branden Coles), the crafty leader of a humanoid rebellion.
2307: Winter’s Dream is a budget sci-fi action movie set in a harsh, frozen future. The film follows a team of soldiers tasked with hunting down rogue humanoids as they venture deep into the wastes in search of the most dangerous humanoid yet. 2307 features a decent premise and a plot that shows more care than the typical low-budget sci-fi flick. Unfortunately, what potential the story has is squandered by execution that leaves much to be desired.
2307: Winter’s Dream has two key problems that combine to cripple it: its characters and its writing. None of the characters are sympathetic or believable. Bishop and his team are caricatures of soldiers, more interested in shouting and trash-talking one another than finishing the mission. Their dialogue is abrasive and distracting, their tactics are lacking, and the film badly misjudges what would make its characters look cool.
The movie also has problems putting its scenes together, thanks mainly to the low quality of its writing. Apart from its jarring dialogue, 2307 just doesn’t have a good sense of how to play out its scenes. The soldiers bicker for no reason, the plot twists don’t carry the weight they should, and there’s little actual action to distract from the film’s other issues. The skeleton of the plot is fine, but the way it’s fleshed out is lackluster.
2307: Winter’s Dream is only worth a watch for die-hard science fiction fans who are more interested in ideas than execution. Its story shows glimmers of potential, mainly regarding the true story behind the humanoid revolt, but the quality of the film’s writing and acting is low enough that almost all of that potential is wasted. Give it a shot only if you’re curious about its missteps with its characters and dialogue; most viewers should steer clear.
For a much better take on the concept of hunting down synthetic humanoids, try Blade Runner or Blade Runner 2049. For a budget sci-fi movie with a similar plot and more robust execution, try Automata. For a sci-fi action movie with better tension and a tougher protagonist, check out Pitch Black.
4.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for modest potential let down by poor execution.