Review of I.S.S.

I.S.S. (2023)
3/10
Another original sci-fi movie fails
19 January 2024
I love sci-fi. I love original non-franchise movies. The combination of the two are becoming increasingly scarce. I want these movies to succeed so Hollywood will continue to invest in them. But like with The Creator and 65, we have another failed attempt.

This movie is all over the place. So much of it feels off. The characters are extremely stupid. They make so many questionable decisions. It's just poor writing, which is also likely the reason I could barely get invested in the story.

There are also some questionable sci-fi elements. I caught a couple mistakes with the zero-G. And it was frequently noticeable that they were hanging, not floating. It was ambitious to attempt zero-G scenes for the entire runtime, but like much of this movie, it feels off.

There is also something major that only happens because an astronaut doesn't follow one of the most basic safety procedures, something even a regular movie fan like me would know. They mention it but never explain why that basic procedure wasn't followed.

Another reason I think this movie fails is the performance by lead actress Ariana DeBose. I found it flat and bland. She does not seem like leading role material. I assumed she was a newbie, but she has a decent filmography. It's mostly musicals (which I don't watch), but apparently she won an Oscar, which is shocking to me.

I was looking forward to watching a new movie in theaters opening night. But with this one, it was so unsatisfying that I decided to see another movie right after, unplanned. And it worked out because Godzilla Minus One is drastically better in every way. Watch that instead.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 1/18/2024)
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