05 Mar Chaos Walking Review

CHAOS WALKING

In the not-too-distant future, Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) discovers Viola (Daisy Ridley), a mysterious girl who crash lands on his planet, where all the women have disappeared and the men are afflicted by “the Noise” – a force that puts all their thoughts on display. In this dangerous landscape, Viola’s life is threatened – and as Todd vows to protect her, he will have to discover his own inner power and unlock the planet’s dark secrets.

Tom Hewitt lives in a town exclusively populated by males who have all been affected by “The Noise,” a phenomenon that puts every man’s thoughts literally on display for every other man to hear. This town, called Prentisstown, is located on a distant planet light years away from Earth and is centered in the middle of what appears to be an endless forest. Tom eventually happens upon Viola, a woman intended to be part of a second wave of settlers on the planet who’s scouting mission has gone awry and needs to return to her ship. After bringing Viola to the town’s mayor, David Prentiss, the action kicks into gear as Tom and Viola run for the lives, hunted by Mayor Prentiss, and secrets are revealed. In a production fraught with delays and reshoots, one would hope a concept as interesting as having to constantly guard ones thoughts against those who could hear them (especially during one’s prime formative years) could be mined for great storytelling but unfortunately the effort falls flat. Weak antagonists, forgettable characters, and missed opportunities for conflict are abound in Chaos Walking.

The latest in what appears to be the tail end of the YA film boom is a walking, talking list of check marks that shout trope: Hewitt, all googley-eyed over the girl while in the middle of facing life and death situations. Viola, the damsel in distress with what we suspect is one good fight scene, but we wouldn’t know because it happens off camera. Mayer Prentiss, menacing and evil from the moment he steps on screen without a hint of subtlety or cunning. The overzealous preacher who’s eager to get his hands on the girl before anyone else. All these characters are written as flat and one dimensional with no room for growth or development.

Starring two franchise leading actors in Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, Chaos Walking neither stands out for its acting acumen, nor does it put a spotlight on their weaknesses. Holland and Ridley both play it straight down the middle. While Holland brings his noted nervous, slightly manic style that works well for Peter Parker to the film, the shtick is starting to fade (noted, this movie was filmed in 2017 before The Devil all the Time and Cherry where it seems he’s trying to shed that look). Ridley continues her path of playing confident characters who are both comfortable taking help and providing for themselves. Mikkeslen, who’s at his best when he’s in villain mode, is fairly toned down here, mostly resorted to grimacing and growling out orders to his men. The talents of David Oyelowo, Cynthia Erivo, and Demian Bichir are completely wasted in bit parts, with Oyelowo serving seemingly no purpose in a plotline that ultimately leads nowhere.

Directed by Doug Liman, known for hits like The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Edge of Tomorrow, he brings his unique visual style to Chaos Walking. If anything, the movie can be remembered for it’s dazzling cinematography: a number of expansive establishing shots and beautifully crafted scenes provide much of the heavy lifting of the film’s appeal. Liman himself seems up to the task, keeping the story moving at a decent pace, breezing through scenes leading the audience to its inevitable if not predictable conclusion.

Overall, when it comes to science fiction in film, Chaos Walking is standard fare. An interesting story and good visuals hamstrung by lackluster antagonists and an unwillingness to explore beyond the superficial, the film leaves a lot to be desired at the end of its 108 minute runtime. Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley are doing their best to salvage what they can, but ultimately the execution does not live up to the potential. A predictable storyline and missed opportunities severely cripple what could’ve been a fascinating insight into the nature of both openness and keeping secrets. The unexplored potential of the fact that humanity has conquered the stars and still managed to bring its biases and misogynistic views with them goes largely ignored, choosing instead to rely on action and name recognition from its two leads. Chaos Walking arrives in theaters March 5th.

Review by Darryl Mansel