Today’s quick review: Singularity. One century after Kronos, the world’s first artificial intelligence, all but wiped out humanity, Andrew Davis (Julian Schaffner) and Calia (Jeannine Wacker), two of the last survivors, head north in search of Aurora, a city rumored to be mankind’s last stronghold. What Andrew does not realize is that he is a robot himself, a human replica sent by Elias Van Dorne (John Cusack), Kronos’ creator, to locate Aurora.
Singularity is a post-apocalyptic teen sci-fi adventure with a low budget and flawed execution. The movie tries to be an epic tale of hope and rebirth in the wake of a robot revolution. But in spite of a promising setup and a decent plot, Singularity quickly runs into problems. Amateurish acting, an uneventful plot, and almost no action are foremost among the film’s many missteps. The result is a movie that fails to deliver on its few good ideas.
Singularity’s most glaring problem is its acting. Julian Schaffner and Jeannine Wacker are badly out of place in the film’s post-apocalyptic setting. Schaffner looks like he was pulled in off the street, while his constant slack-jawed expression undercuts the drama. Wacker is supposed to be a hardened survivor, but she never shows any particular competence at anything. The pair might do well in a teen romance, but here they are liabilities.
There are other, smaller problems that chew away at the movie’s foundations. The action is limited to a few key scenes, but weak fight choreography and miserly use of CGI keep them from having much impact. The plot falls apart in stages, beginning with a reasonable Trojan Horse setup but losing coherence with every new development. The script and cinematography are packed with little incongruities, such as giant robots sneaking around without detection.
Singularity does have a few rays of light. The opening ten minutes, depicting the rise of Kronos, are put together well, even if they have no bearing on the rest of the movie. John Cusack delivers a worthwhile performance in spite of a mediocre script. The basic skeleton of the plot has potential; with a couple of adjustments, it could even make for a moving drama. But poor execution smothers what value the movie offers.
Watch Singularity only if you’re a fan of budget science fiction with missed potential. Singularity could have been a decent entry into the genre, but it falls well short of the mark. For a flawed but more compelling take on the technological singularity, check out Transcendence. For a darker, more imaginative sci-fi story with similar plot elements, check out Blame!. For a sober, low-budget look at human-robot relations, check out Automata.
4.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a decent premise let down by lackluster writing and a pair of unconvincing leads.