I expected so much more from this cast, not to mention an adaptation of such a well-reviewed book. MILD SPOILER: this movie is about hackers causing power outages and then a meltdown of much of our technology.
The first half hour was reasonably engaging and I almost started to like the characters, but when things started to not make sense in the world of the characters', the movie itself started to not make sense either. By which I mean, the physical things that happened made no sense. How would an acute environmental disaster in the South cause a hundred deer to congregate in one place on Long Island, just hours later? Why would two planes crash into the same exact spot on a remote beach, and why aren't they consumed by fire or explosion? Why would all the crashing Teslas be white? They come in several other colors. Why is nature being so profoundly affected? Weather patterns and wildlife will be almost completely unaffected if our technology fries tomorrow. ANYONE who actually knows the slightest thing about science and nature will be repulsed by the absurdity of some of the events depicted here.
And I say this as someone who is quite concerned about the issues raised by this film. We are too dependent on technology and haven't built enough redundancy and resilience into it. Hackers or natural events could take a lot of it down, and heaven knows what new vulnerabilities genAI will create.
More specifically, some reviewers have mentioned the possibility of a massive solar flare, a repeat of the legendary Carrington Event, could fry our tech. This year's solar storms and Borealis events remind us that a repeat will occur someday. But that will not zap all your electronics, The greatest technical vulnerability to another Carrington is our transformers. They will explode from the great voltages collected by miles of transmission lines - likely, perhaps ironically, protecting most of the devices in your home. The problem is that we haven't stockpiled enough replacements to get particularly the East Coast grid back up until weeks - or months! - afterward. The Llloyd's of London report on this danger is VERY worth a read. The thought of being without electricity for a truly extended period is chilling.
But if it all falls apart, whether by solar flare, hacker or atomic blast, this movie isn't how things are going to go down. Once it gets going, it's just so unrealistic - and not just the physical events, but the dialogue, which gets worse and worse as the characters' situation worsens.
Unless your intent is to laugh at this joke of a movie, don't waste your time. Sorry I wasted even an hour watching the first half. Maybe I'll put myself in a comedy mode and come back to watch the rest.
The first half hour was reasonably engaging and I almost started to like the characters, but when things started to not make sense in the world of the characters', the movie itself started to not make sense either. By which I mean, the physical things that happened made no sense. How would an acute environmental disaster in the South cause a hundred deer to congregate in one place on Long Island, just hours later? Why would two planes crash into the same exact spot on a remote beach, and why aren't they consumed by fire or explosion? Why would all the crashing Teslas be white? They come in several other colors. Why is nature being so profoundly affected? Weather patterns and wildlife will be almost completely unaffected if our technology fries tomorrow. ANYONE who actually knows the slightest thing about science and nature will be repulsed by the absurdity of some of the events depicted here.
And I say this as someone who is quite concerned about the issues raised by this film. We are too dependent on technology and haven't built enough redundancy and resilience into it. Hackers or natural events could take a lot of it down, and heaven knows what new vulnerabilities genAI will create.
More specifically, some reviewers have mentioned the possibility of a massive solar flare, a repeat of the legendary Carrington Event, could fry our tech. This year's solar storms and Borealis events remind us that a repeat will occur someday. But that will not zap all your electronics, The greatest technical vulnerability to another Carrington is our transformers. They will explode from the great voltages collected by miles of transmission lines - likely, perhaps ironically, protecting most of the devices in your home. The problem is that we haven't stockpiled enough replacements to get particularly the East Coast grid back up until weeks - or months! - afterward. The Llloyd's of London report on this danger is VERY worth a read. The thought of being without electricity for a truly extended period is chilling.
But if it all falls apart, whether by solar flare, hacker or atomic blast, this movie isn't how things are going to go down. Once it gets going, it's just so unrealistic - and not just the physical events, but the dialogue, which gets worse and worse as the characters' situation worsens.
Unless your intent is to laugh at this joke of a movie, don't waste your time. Sorry I wasted even an hour watching the first half. Maybe I'll put myself in a comedy mode and come back to watch the rest.