iBoy : Netflix's Superhero Failure.
iBoy: **
Netflix Original | Action | Crime | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Cast: Miranda Richardson; Bill Milner; Maisie Williams; Rory Kinnear;
Duration: 1 Hr 30 Mins.
Release: Jan 2017
Plot: After being shot while calling for help trying to stop a violent attack on his high school girl, a 16 year old boy awakens from a coma to discover that fragments of his smart phone have embedded in his brain, giving him superhero powers. He uses this knowledge and technology to exact revenge on the gang responsible for the attack.
Review.
Based on iBoy by Kevin Brooks, the movie is about High School kids in a town rotting away under a drug lord's empire. Lead Tom Harvey is normal and awkward high school kid until he gets caught up in the city crimes.
Lucy (Tom's love interest) played by Maisie Williams has almost no effect on the story, she could be a childhood friend or a regular neighbor and the story probably would have ended up at the same climax. iBoy for sure is waste of a spot in Maisie's career list. You hardly get to see her, maybe there are 4 scenes where she is actually makes any sort of impact on the story. The movie hardly shows or talks about how much she means to Tom.
The story from the get go does not manage to capture audiences attention. It does not make any effort to connect with audience or provide any depth to the characters. While Tom like Lucy since childhood and the whole school knows about he does nothing to improve their relationship. Tom when drops by Lucy flat finds her attacked and raped by masked hooligans, when he attempts to dial 999' he is shot in the head. The smartphone fragments stuck in his head gives him the powers of a superhero. It does not just connect him to the wireless network but all gives him power over electronic devices like, lamps, car engines, phones, cameras and more.
Unlike every other superhero movie, iBoy does not dive into, why, how and when questions but with subtle ques just gives all the answers. The film is a refreshing take on superhero films. It focuses more on the dialogues then relying on action sequences and CGI. But unfortunately the script crumples under the weight of puling it off. Huge names like Miranda Richardson, Rory Kinnear are given paper thin characters that make the film even more grim.
After recovery at the hospital, he quickly finds out about his powers and what seems like overnight, gains control over it. Not only does he take it well but also starts an all out war right away with the the town's crime lord. The story as it is, seems too fast and meaningless. It gets worse with the Tom developing powers like emitting sound waves that cause pain and discomfort for human brain and a shock-wave knocking the antagonist out towards the end of the movie.
There are many other scenes that make no sense when it comes to the character relationship. Given that Tom likes Lucy and she is aware about it, it still makes no sense to just lump them together without them having any meaningful exchange of words in the entire 90 mins of the movie. He does rush to save her, but that is an hero's job.
Bill Milner does a great job as an awkward teenager and but not so much as the vigilante. Maisie is a ray of hope in the film that brings humor in to the dry script.
Verdict: Fails to bring forth the story's sincerity.
** stars.
Lucy should just shoot Tom in the head , maybe that will give him better powers, resulting in a better story.
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