Kill Switch might be, on paper, an interesting concept but by going with the first person shooter route and you actually distance yourself with the main character as played by Dan Stevens and at that point you couldn’t care less about his situation.
Kill Switch
(2017)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Suspense/Thriller
Lionsgate | R – 92 min. – $24.99 | August 22, 2017
Date Published: 08/14/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 2.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: A military experiment to harness unlimited energy, via a carbon copy of Earth (named Echo) which is supposedly uninhabited, goes horribly awry, leaving pilot Will Porter (DAN STEVENS) stranded on Echo Earth, which is a complete reverse version of Earth with no choice but to fight through an imploding world to save his sister and nephew and the planet itself.
Quick Hit Review: I think I might’ve found an even more annoying filmmaking style than found footage: First Person Shooter. My first experience with this was Hardcore Henry which was okay but forgettable. Now we get Kill Switch, a movie where approximately 80% is Will Porter’s POV with some flashbacks thrown in to flesh out the (weak) story and give some character development. But really, for something like 75-80 minutes, you’re basically watching a “Let’s Play” video on YouTube but the play aspect is really lame. If I had anything positive to say, the visual effects weren’t bad especially if you take into consideration the budget, and in his few on-camera scenes, Dan Stevens isn’t too bad while Berenice Marlohe (who got on the map with Skyfall) portrays a sinister enough (quasi) villainous.
Directed by TimsmiT or Timsmit or Tim Smit or something like that, I’m not sure, Kill Switch has a decent enough story but by making a first person shooter, you’re really detaching any sort of emotions that no amount of flashbacks would be able to overcome. While I can’t say my attention was ever lost (on that front, it’s got a one up on anything Terence Malick has directed), I also really couldn’t give two rips to any character or the situations they found themselves in; it was a very vapid experience. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5 |
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This release comes with a glossy, title-embossed, slip cover. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Features are rather light with only an Audio Commentary with director Tim Smit and The Visual Effect: Inside the Director’s Process (4:51; HD) featurette which has drawings, notes and concept art for the film. Previews – The Assignment, Come Find Me, The Girl with All the Gifts, The Hunter’s Prayer, Cell |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Although this has the stability of a found footage movie (i.e. shaky cam), Kill Switch’s 1080p high-definition transfer, presented with a 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio, looks good. Generally, detail is sharp and colors are vibrant throughout, especially the flashback scenes where the camera is stable. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The disc comes equipped with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. There’s nothing overly special with this given the bulk of the movie, even during the action scenes, came through the center channel with some okay usage from the front and rear speakers. |
OVERALL – 2.25/5 |
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Overall, Kill Switch might be, on paper, an interesting concept but by going with the first person shooter route and you actually distance yourself with the main character as played by Dan Stevens and at that point you couldn’t care less about his situation. Couple that with a half-baked script and it’s just a movie that never really came together. This Lionsgate Blu-ray includes great video, fine audio and throw-away bonus features. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.