by Henry Pham
Selecting a new, original sci-fi movie can be challenging, as many people shift their focus towards high-budget sci-fi movies, superhero movies (i.e., Marvel Cinematic Universe), and space opera films (i.e., Star Wars, Blade Runner, Dune). Sometimes, regardless of how well a new film performs, it is a tough gamble to see if any of the new sci-fi movies can achieve critical success, based on the critics’ reviews and box-office performance. Mercy takes place in the near future and focuses on the LA detective who stands trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge he once championed, before it determined his fate.
Chris Pratt, known for his roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World films, stars as Det. Chris Raven, an LAPD officer on trial for the alleged murder of his wife, Nicole Raven (played by Annabelle Wallis of BBC’s Peaky Blinders). While his character is portrayed as a troubled officer, Pratt brings both intensity and emotional depth, making his performance one of the film’s highlights. The film maintains a fast pace, guiding viewers through a narrative filled with tension, moral dilemmas, and unexpected developments as the murder mystery unfolds.
Rebecca Ferguson, known for her roles in Mission: Impossible films and Dune films, begrudgingly appears as Judge Maddox, an AI who testifies to Officer Raven and is part of the Mercy program. Despite being an AI character, her performance is also compelling, as she takes her job seriously as both a judge and officer of the law. Based on what the poster says, her character was originally conceived as a main antagonist, but she isn’t. As Pratt’s character continues to find evidence to prove his innocence, she becomes soft-hearted and, therefore, an ally to him.
Timur Bekmambetov directs and produces the film, known for his work on Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and the 2016 rebooted version of Ben-Hur, the latter of which became a box-office flop. The film draws clear inspiration from Robocop (1987) and Minority Report, but lacks their excitement and credibility. Despite expectations for action, the main character remains confined for most of the film, resulting in a slow and unengaging experience. The writing, cinematography, and action sequences also fall short, making the film unsatisfying overall. The rest of the supporting cast – consisting of Kali Reis (HBO’s True Detective: Night Country), Chris Sullivan (NBC’s This Is Us, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and Kylie Rogers (ABC’s The Whispers, Paramount Plus’s Yellowstone) – are okay, but none of the characters are who they appear to be, showing a great deal of nuisance throughout the film.
I saw this movie in IMAX 3D, which heightened my cinema experience, but overall, I was pleasantly disappointed by this movie. It may be an awesome action movie to others, but not so much for me. The plot and the action show no mercy towards Chris Pratt in Mercy. Pratt is such a good actor, and so is Ferguson, who are the only good parts in the film. Unfortunately, this string of failures prevented me from liking this movie. It could be a one-time viewing for starters, but not for everyone. If you’re into sci-fi action movies, you can give this one a try. Otherwise, I’d rather stick with some classic sci-fi action movies like the 1987 Robocop movie I mentioned earlier. I wanted to have fun and a good time with this movie, but all I got was a stink burger despite seeing it in 3D.
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