50/15
Haunted by the disappearance of her father 30 years ago, Stella returns to her hometown to care for her ailing mother. One night, her father contacts her through an old radio. Stella must spend time trying to bring him back by activating Taklee Genesis. This film offers many entertaining moments if not taken too seriously. It is a science fiction mystery based on a time travel story that mixes elements of drama, comedy, horror and fantasy. At times, it seemed like the director had a catalog of movie scenes from which he would randomly select an item and include them in the film. As a result, the audience is treated to a crazy collection of aliens, dinosaurs, spaceships, zombies, Kaiju and many more things that one would not expect. As a result, it feels like a more generic version of Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. As with most time travel movies, plot holes are hard to avoid. There are plenty of them in this film, often undercut by dialogue that’s too much like “it’s okay,” “don’t worry,” or “everything will be okay.” While the actors seem to be trying their best, the acting remains another weakness in this film. The British parents initially speak as if they’re recording an English listening comprehension chapter for primary school. Mom barely sheds a tear when Whalen is gone. The funniest character of all is Mordin, the silent survivor who saves the day when everyone else is giving up hope. Overall, our rating for Taklee Genesis is a seven out of ten. We watched the original version with English subtitles in a movie theater.