"Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

“Even if no one remembers me, I'll keep protecting them."

The movie picks up several years after the end of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” where Doctor Strange casts a worldwide spell to save mankind, which in turn wipes everyone’s memory of Peter Parker as Spider Man (Tom Holland, “The Avengers” series). No one remembers him ever existed, including his love, MJ (Zendaya, “The Drama”) and best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon, “Spider-Man” series).   

After an amazing trilogy, if you think there’s not much story to tell, you’d be wrong.  Wiping the slate clean changes everything. Gone is the jovial high school kid with a close circle of people who love Peter.  A more mature Peter is heartbroken and utterly alone and you could feel it in his bone, thanks to Holland’s tormented performance.  MJ and Ned, now in college, have their own ordinary lives without him.    

Peter returns to his street-level roots, as your friendly neighborhood Spider Man, catching bad guys all over town and teaming up with street cops.  And the cinematography is a love letter to New York City, filled with so many exceptional camera work, breathtakingly crisp shots of Spider Man slinging, leaping, falling, flipping, soaring, spiraling, somersaulting, navigating the air, skyscrapers and the ground. It’s an absolute pleasure to watch.

The action scenes have beautiful visual style.  The elegant ninja fighting with fluid movements and the rough-and-tumble Hulk confrontation with rubbles suspended in the air are distinctively captured.

The central villain is a mysterious figure (Sadie Sink), who can rapidly jump into and inhabit people’s mind, one after another in close proximity, leading them to act outside of their control. 

One major target is the Department of Damage Control (DoDC). The elusive teenager with powerful telepathic abilities is looking for an asset inside of the DoDC vault and will not to stop until she gets it. The stakes are raised when she knows thar MJ is Spider Man’s Achilles heel.

A classic case of MacGuffin?  Not quite, not even close. Expect an inspired reveal that ties to the larger MCU plan. A couple of Avengers have solid cameos. 

While this is a darker Spider-Man, Peter has never lost his self-sacrificing soul and the humor is still there. The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) makes an unlikely ally.  

Seeing the trio together again, even without MJ’s and Ned’s memories of Peter, is heartwarmingly nostalgic, as if five years haven’t passed.  While the web-slinging actions are spectacular, the personal moments are emotionally resonant. The isolation, anguish, longing. One particular scene will deceptively tug at your heartstrings.   

“With great power comes responsibility” has never been truer in “Spider Man: Brand New Day.”  There is no multiverse or space or galaxy here, and truthfully, it's refreshing.  It's a triumphant return of the superhero, yet human web-slinger.  

Hopefully Mavel can get back to human stories and grounded characters that matter like this. And while nothing will be comparable to the original Avengers at its prime, with a particular Easter egg hatched in the movie, it sets up a promising potential for Marvel’s next phase.  

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FREE Movie: "Illusion" (Global - July 24-26, 2026)

What if the very way we form beliefs is the root of our separation?

"Illusion" challenges one of humanity’s most deeply held assumptions: that unity requires sameness.

Through a provocative blend of science, archaeology, and philosophy, it explores a bold idea that our beliefs are not truths we discover, but constructs we inherit, absorb and defend.

Reality is not built from one viewpoint, but from many. ""Illusion" asks you to look again.

The future of humanity may not depend on becoming one. It may depend on understanding how we are many.

Watch ILLUSION Free | Global Viewing Weekend July 24–26, 2026 

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2026 Comic-Con: Paramount Lodge+

One of the most immersive Comic-Con experiences is back for its 3rd year!  Produced by 15|40 Productions, Paramount Lodge+ returns to San Diego July 23, 26, 2026 with "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender," "Dutton Ranch," "Star Trek: Strange New World," "South Park" and more. 

Fans can spend 50 minutes enjoying a variety of interactive activations, cool photo ops, premium swags, and select food & beverage (located at the Happy Does Bar, 340 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101).

No Comic-Con badge needed.

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2026 Comic-Con: Wildwood - The Forest is Calling Portal

Across America, mysterious portals are starting to appear beckoning fans to enter the world of Wildwood. The Forest is Calling Portal Experience is set to make its grand debut outside the Hard Rock Café at San Diego Comic Con on July 23, 2026 (through July 26, 2026) before moving on to multiple cities across the United States.

Inspired by Colin Meloy's beloved novel and brought to life through Laika's signature handcrafted artistry, the experience transports fans to this enigmatic, mystical world through the “Impassable Wilderness".

This is the first physical manifestation of the world of Wildwood and the beginning of a national experiential campaign that unfolds across the country before culminating in the film's theatrical release on October 23, 2026.

Built through a combination of practical fabrication and extensive hand craftsmanship, every scenic element has been individually textured, finished and painted to bring the world of Wildwood to life at human scale. 

No Comic-Con badge needed.

"Wildwood" is Laika’s upcoming stop-motion dark fantasy about Prue McKeel and her classmate Curtis, who venture into a hidden magical forest near Portland to rescue Prue’s kidnapped baby brother. Filled with enchanted creatures and dangerous foes, the quest tests courage and friendship. With stunning handcrafted animation, a star-studded voice cast, and Laika calling it their most ambitious film yet, it promises a richly imaginative cinematic event worth watching.

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2026 Comic-Con: Lanterns Headquarters

WHAT: HBO Max will invite fans to prove their fearlessness at the “Lanterns Training Headquarters” experience. Inspired by the setting of Rushville, Nebraska, the activation unfolds as a guided training journey where fans will receive a briefing from the Guardians and will be evaluated through a series of interactive challenges designed to reveal if they have what it takes to wear the ring. Along the way, guests will move through hands-on experiences including target practice, trust-based challenges, maze navigation, and escape‑room style mystery scenarios set within in‑world environments like a Sheriff’s office and dive bar. The experience culminates for trainees with a custom Green Lantern ring to take home, an opportunity to simulate using a Green Lantern ring on a Snapchat powered interactive mirror.

WHEN: July 23-26, 2026. July 23 (9 a.m. - 6 p.m.), July 24 (11:00 a.m.-9 p.m.), July 25 (11 a.m.- 9 p.m.)

WHERE: LANTERNS Training Headquarters | Venue 808 - 808 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101

No Comic-Con badge needed.

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2026 Comic-Con: The Silo Experience

WHAT: Take an immersive step into the underground world of Silo through a multi-sensory installation that transports visitors into the silo itself, allowing them to experience the tension, intrigue, and atmosphere that has captivated audiences around the world.

WHEN: July 24-26, 2026

WHERE: The Lot, 1st & J, 450 2nd Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

"Silo" is on Apple TV starring Rebecca Ferguson. It follows 10,000 survivors living in a massive 144-level underground bunker, where all history is forgotten and residents are strictly taught that the surface world is a toxic, uninhabitable wasteland.

No Comic-Con badge needed.

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2026 Comic-Con: FREE Activities & Giveaways

It’s almost time for one of the largest events in San Diego for comic, movie and superhero fans alike.

For those who couldn’t score badges to this year’s Comic-Con at the San Diego Convention Center, there will still be plenty of ways to enjoy the annual festivities at one of the activations or pop-ups throughout San Diego.

What makes all of the Comic-Con festivities even better is that most of the activities outside are FREE and even have giveaways for fans.

Apple TV's Silo, BERO Spider-Man: Brand New Day x Pendry Pop-Up, DC’s Lanterns Training Headquarters, Hulu Animayhem, Nickelodeon’s Fun, Percy Jackson and The Olympians,  Paramount Lodge+, PAWmicon, Petco Park Interactive Zone, Peanut’s x Super7 Adopt-A-Puppy Pop-Up, Stern Pinball Pop-Up Arcade.

Check out new activations and old favorites: Free Comic-Con activations and pop-ups coming to San Diego

For a blast from the past, check out: The MovieMaven: Comic-Con - WonderCon - SXSW

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"The Invite"

From 3/30/2026 press screening:

"Everything is on the table."

You’ll never know what you’ll find when you invite your neighbors over. 

The tagline of the movie is right, “It’ll be fun.” But whatever you may guess about “The Invite” from the suggestive trailer, the film will take you to unexpected places.

Angela’s (Olivia Wilde; “Don’t Worry Darling,” “Tron Legacy") and Joe’s (Seth Rogen) marriage has been on the rocks for a while.  Angela has an art degree that she’s never used professionally, although she’s put that to good use by artfully decorating their apartment. Joe used to be in a band and was a one-hit wonder; he’s now a school music teacher.  

The couple’s resentment has built up over time and it peaks one evening when Angela has invited their new neighbors upstairs, Pina (Penelope Cruz; "Murder at the Orient Express," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"), a psychotherapist and sexologist, and Hawk (Edward Norton; "The Bourne Legacy," "The Illusionist"), a former firefighter-turned-massage therapist, for a get-to-know-you evening over wine, charcuterie and cheese, to Joe’s dismay.  

Truth be told, Joe and Angela have been bothered by loud noises coming from upstairs. The kind of noise that could only come from some prolific adult activities. Joe would like to confront them, to Angela’s discomfort, while Angela would like to actually let their neighbors know how understanding they have been with noises coming from their unit due to renovation.  

To make it even more awkward, Pina and Hawk could hear Angela’s and Joe’s quarrel from outside the door prior to their arrival. It’s really amusing watching the apology tour, alternating with sarcasm and snide among the couples.  

Don’t mistake the seemingly low-stake encounter. On the contrary, the non-stop dialogues are one-upping bickering, bug-eyed bewilderment, and tense with pressures waiting to burst at any moment, punctuated by the score that never lets up.  

The hilariously contentious and anxious evening grows squirmy from there, when Pina and Hawk cross the neighborly boundaries and openly overshare about their personal lives, as well as what they really think of Angela and Joe, saying it with a knowing wink and a wild invite after some salacious secret reveal. Then Pina decides to give a radically honest pep talk about conscious choices, as if from a therapist perspective. 

Superficial, inappropriate, uncomfortable, riotous, unpredictable with heartbreaking backstory and gut-punch realization at the same time. Acting all around is superb, with Wilde as a standout among the fractured foursome, on the verge of a nervous breakdown and shooting daggers, while attempting to maintain a polish people-pleaser façade the entire time. 

The story progresses into discombobulated directions, from zing to fling and back. Seriously uproarious dramedy, expect the unexpected with “The Invite."

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FREE Movie Screening: "Young Washington" (Nationwide)

In celebration of America's 250th birthday, Atom Tickets and Angel Studios are partnering to provide FREE movie screening nationwide on July 4, 2026 (only).  

Claim your FREE movie tickets here: (2 tickets/person)

https://www.atomtickets.com/movies/young-washington/396586?ref=YoungWashingtonFreeTixEmail&lid=z7szndjiicz3

Redemption code: YWJULY4

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Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive. A single misstep thrusts young George Washington into the center of a global conflict, testing his honor, loyalty, and courage. As alliances crumble and the frontier erupts into war, he must confront not only his enemies but the man he's becoming. This is the untold story of Young Washington.

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FREE Movie Screening: "Minions & Monsters" (from "Despicable Me" Series) - San Diego, CA

In partnership with the Universal Pictures Studio, FREE movie screening, if you're in the greater San Diego area:

July 29, 2029 - 7 p.m.

Regal Mira Mesa, 10733 Westview Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92126 

Get your FREE movie tickets here: (VERY limited availability, first-come, first served; 1 pass = 2 seats)

https://gofobo.com/screenings/movie_landing/TWluaW9uTUFWRU4%3D//

Redeem your pass using the following code, exclusive to The MovieMaven (case-sensitive, no space): MinionMAVEN

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Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters, in the biggest global animated franchise in history. This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.

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"Disclosure Day"

“The truth belongs to eight billion people."

Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt; “The Devil Wears Prada,” "The Fall Guy," "Jungle Cruise," "Mary Poppins Returns," "The Girl on the Train," "Edge of Tomorrow," "The Adjustment Bureau"), is a popular meteorologist in Kansas City, has an awakening moment one morning when staring at a beautiful bird. She’s suddenly able to speak foreign languages, read minds, among other superhuman abilities. 

Margaret also feels inexplicably drawn toward a man that she doesn’t even know, Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor, “Wake up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”).  Daniel is a cybersecurity expert on the run from stealing decades worth of secrets that he was initially paid to protect.  

Daniel is now connecting with the leader of a clandestine clan, Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), who is aiding him to evade a relentless pursuit from Wardex, a shadowy government contractor and profiteer run by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth; “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” “The King’s Speech”), and to help the whistleblower to unbury the world-changing secret to the public.  

Wardex has gotten a hold of alien technology and Noah is able to use its terrifying telepathic ability to control the minds of the people he’s targeting.  Noah is repeatedly using Daniel’s girlfriend, Eve Hewson (Jane Blankenship), to track down and capture Daniel.  

Eve initially didn’t believe what’s happening.  Once it’s shown to her without a shadow of the doubt the existence of aliens, as a former nun, she’s torn between supporting Daniel’s plan to disclose to the world and hiding the truth.

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?  And what would you do?  The film posits a believable perspective why it might be much safer to keep the truth hidden.  

We are raised to believe in God, sight unseen. Our collective faith makes us feel that It is there.  And that spiritual belief in deity has brought mankind together.  What would happen then if people find out that there are actual supreme beings on earth?  It would divide the world already at the brink of World War III, create further instability, and spread mass paranoia, panic, disorder and disarray.  

At the same time, who are we to play God and decide for the world?  So what would be the right decision then?  Do people deserve to know the truth, and nothing but the entire truth, regardless of the consequences?  

The movie is long at 2.5 hours, but it allows fleshed out scenes of the unspeakable suppression and cover up of lies and thrilling action set pieces, including multiple car chases, hold-your-breath train sequence, elusive escapes from secret facilities. Disclosure day leads to a breathtaking reveal, mixed with a bit of cornball, at a global scale.

The movie has the classic touches of visionary director Steven Spielberg (“Jurassic Word,” “Super 8”), whom I had the privilege to see in person at a Comic-Con panel years ago. Blunt is excellently emotive in the role, bringing out Margaret's empath being to the surface.  

“Disclosure Day” is a layered, extraterrestrial conspiracy sci-fi thriller, blending in existential mystery and suspenseful action with childlike awe and earnest wonder.  

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"The Devil Wears Prada 2"

"Power never goes out of style."

20 years since "The Devil Wears Prada" was released and became a cult classic, the original cast (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci) reunite for a glossy sequel.  

Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway; "Ocean 8," "Interstellar"), Runway Magazine's iconic editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly's (Meryl Streep, "The Giver," "The Iron Lady") formerly awkward assistant is now an award-winning journalist. She's traveled the world and covered serious stuff.  

During the journalism award ceremony night, Andy and the rest of her colleagues from her newspaper found out that they had lost their jobs via text messages due to a company buyout. 

Andy's impassioned speech about the importance of journalism caught the attention of the billionaire owner of Runway Magazine, who decided to bring her in to be the publication's features editor, and fix the magazine's woes.  

Runway Magazine is in deep trouble due to a glowing story they ran about a fashion company that turns out to be running their operations like a sweatshop. 

The mighty Miranda is being parodied online and the magazine is hearing an earful from advertisers and losing ad dollars. Miranda needs to work overtime to earn back the trust of advertisers, especially Dior, its biggest advertiser.  

When Miranda, Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci; "Spotlight," "The Hunger Games" series) and Andy go to Dior, they are greeted by, who else, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt; "The Fall Guy," "Jungle Cruise," "Mary Poppins Returns," "The Girl on the Train," "Edge of Tomorrow," "The Adjustment Bureau"), another former assistant of Miranda, now a Dior executive.  

It's fun to see the quartet back together, bonding and butting heads. The frenemy chemistry, acerbic quips, humorous groveling and approval-seeking, as if two decades haven't passed.  

Even before the sweatshop scandal story broke, Runway Magazine is not what it used to be. Print magazines are in decline, and the prestigious fashion magazine is not immune to the digital wave sweeping the media landscape globally.  

What used to be exclusive news are now digital, downloadable and streamable. Viral content for clicks and likes is queen. Budget studio photoshoots have replaced far-flung exotic locales. Economy class is the norm, not private jets.  

Miranda is mellower; she has had to tone down her devilish ways to modern human resources standards. As an HR professional (my full-time profession), those little moments are really chuckle-worthy.    

Amid the fabulous clothes and sensational shoes, bright lights and camera blitz in the world of high couture and luxurious locations, as well as nostalgic songs and cool cameos, the story deals with the state of journalism, decline of print publishing, high-flying careers and power plays in business.  

It shows how precarious even high-flying careers could be.  Professional pinnacle could flip overnight.  Enviable stability and longevity could end at any time at the whim of a company's owner or any other variables totally unrelated to merit. It's also nice to see Andy's sweet connection with Nigel and her relationship with Miranda matures. 

Like a fashion magazine spread, the plot depth is paper thin, but everything's pretty and you'll be in for a stylish ride. "The Devil Wears Prada 2" remains in style, both with glamorous fashion and power dynamics.

    

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"The Drama"

“What’s the worst thing have you ever done?”

How well do we really know our loved ones?  Don’t ask that question if you’re not prepared for an answer that you may not be ready to hear.  

This is the basic premise of “The Drama.”  If you’re expecting a light romantic comedy, it’s the opposite of that.  One might argue that “Materialists” is along the same construct, with a heavy subject material inserted in the middle, but this movie strays farther.  A significant portion is spent on flashbacks and images imagined based on those flashbacks.  

Emma (Zendaya, “Spider-Man” series) is to wed her first love, Charlie (Robert Pattinson) in days.  There are typical wedding drama, such as choices on food and beverage menu, flower arrangements, first dance choreography, practice photoshoots.  But that’s not “the drama.”  

The drama comes one night when the couple spends one of their last pre-wedding times with their maid of honor, Rachel (Alana Haim), and best man, Mike (Mamoudou Athie).  When that question pops up, Rachel, Mike, and Charlie awkwardly give their answers.  Everyone nervously laughs and squirms.  To each their own, their past actions were bad, with varying degrees.   

Emma’s answer, however, makes everyone really squirm and it’s no laughing matter.  The dark secret from the past is out and there’s no way to take it back.  Once the shocking knowledge is in everyone’s head, they react and question everything they knew about Emma, her character then and now, and how to move forward or not move forward with the wedding.  

The entire movie is built around this early revealed secret and how it creates a chain of fixations and overreactions and spiraling out. Relationships are permanently changed.  

It’s also one of those movies that poses the question, “What would you do?” if you were in the same situation.  How would you react?  What can you overlook about a loved one?  What about unconditional love?  Is there a limit?  Do you believe that people can change?  And if so, to what extent?  How can you move past your fixation?  Can you forgive and move on?  

People will evaluate this story based on their own life filters; belief system, past experiences, moral compass.  

Drama-filled, you’ll experience second-hand embarrassment and uncomfortable cringe watching the characters tripping all over themselves.  Tense and anxious, expect the unexpected with “The Drama.”  

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"Project Hail Mary"

“Believe in the Hail Mary.”

By nature, space explorations are intriguing.  We’ve got epic ones in the last decade or so, “Gravity,” “Interstellar,” “The Martian,” “Arrival,” ones that tests the human mind, “Passengers” and “Slingshot.”

In “Project Hail Mary,” Ryan Gosling (“The Fall Guy,” “Barbie,” “First Man,” “The Ides of March,” “Drive”) is Ryland Grace, an everyman science teacher.  He has a doctorate in molecular biology and controversial theory in his former life as a scientist, which caused him to be cast out from the scientific community.  It's precisely why he’s approached by a space agency official, Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller) for a mankind-saving mission.  

Told through flashbacks, Eva plays a bigger role than expected.  Ruthlessly efficient and operating with the-end-justifies-the-means approach, she does what needs to be done at all costs.

There is something out there that is rapidly destroying the sun and infecting the stars.  The sun is dimming an alarming rate, it will cool down the Earth’s temperature and lead to the death of a quarter of the world’s population in the next 30 years, and eventually, human extinction. 

There is one star, however, that is not infected, and they need to figure out why and get whatever substance that is sustaining its survival.  That star is 11.9 light years away and only one-way voyage is possible because there will not be ample power to bring a manned spaceship home.  In other words, a Hail Mary, technically a suicide mission.  

Ryland wakes up from a hypersleep coma, years away from Earth and finds that he’s totally alone.  His crewmates, the pilot and an engineer, are deceased.  In the vast vacuum of space, Ryland encounters a common ally, a blocky, mechanical alien whom he soon calls Rocky.

Rocky is the sole survivor of his species and is onboard his very cool spaceship for a similar mission.  The two strangers learn to connect and bond over their shared purpose, try to understand and solve issues, figure out solutions together, and find solace and companionship in each other.  

Gosling owns the movie, fluctuating among a range of emotions at any given moment.  From floating in the air and accidental spacewalk to interacting and communicating with Rocky, mirroring gestures, talking about boundaries and privacy, and heartstopping celestial expedition. 

There’s a stunning space sequence, blending in a kaleidoscope of lights and colors with a whirl of motion and sound, which may leave you holding your breath.  At this point of their friendship, Ryland and Rocky are willing to sacrifice themselves to ensure the other survives.  The ending allows us to see what is becoming of Earth and Rocky’s planet.  

With a joyous, comical undertone, heartrending poignancy, beautiful visual and masterful score, “Project Hail Mary” is a marvel of a project.  

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"Crime 101"

"One heist connects them all."

Cleverly titled “Crime 101,” the 101 refers to Highway 101 that runs through Los Angeles, not how to commit a crime.  

Mike (Chris Hemsworth; “The Avengers” series, “Thor” series, “Rush”) is an elusive jewel thief.  Neatly groomed with a pressed shirt, expensive watch and black getaway car, he’s a loner, driven and disciplined.  He plans with precision, gets his target, and knows how to get in and out quickly and cleanly without hurting anybody.  Little did he know that his luck might be running out.  With so many jobs, there’s bound to be a chance for one slip that may unravel everything.  

Maya (Monica Barbaro, “Top Gun: Maverick”), whose car accidentally collided with Mike, doesn’t add much to the story, although it makes you wonder how she could have a relationship with a man with no known past, photographs, family or friends.  

Sharon (Halle Berry, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”) is a single and successful insurance executive working for a firm underwrites and insures valuable or frivolously luxurious assets for the rich.  

Astute and perceptive, Sharon has been waiting patiently for years to make partner in her firm, only to find out that the firm continues to keep her at arm's length.  The men in suits treat her like she’s only useful because they could rely on her to close deals by using her considerable chic charm to capture potential pampered clients.  She might be standing on a high moral ground at first, but little did she know that that’s about to change when Mike crosses her disillusioned path.    

Detective Lou, (Mark Ruffalo; “The Avengers” series, “Now You See Me” series) is a dogged detective with marital mess and career quandary, working in an integrity-deficit workplace and office politics, and trying to catch a big break to maintain his position.  

One interaction with Sharon gives Lou the clue that he needs.  Catching on that a series of human actions create a pattern; he’s now able to narrow down the robbery circumstances and perpetrator of those high-end heists along the Highway 101 corridor.  Little did he know that he and Sharon would run into each other again and again.  

Omon (Barry Keoghan (“Eternals”) is a wild card robber, volatile and violent, and never hesitates to shoot.  In other words, Mike’s exact opposite.  The two will soon track down each other, culminating in a chase sequence and eventually life or death confrontation – following Lou’s sting operation, reaching an unpredictable crescendo in one single room.  

From aerial and upside-down shots of glassily lit nights to sun-draped days to arteries of freeways and streams of headlights and grittiness of the streets and city underbelly, the cinematography glossily gazes at the City of Angels.  The film runs on a slow burn pace, especially in the beginning, and it does feel long.  

Each character in the intertwining storylines receives a closure, both satisfying and slippery in morality.  “Crime 101” is a character-driven and solid throwback contemporary crime thriller.  

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"Mercy"

From 1/21/2026 press screening:

What happens when artificial intelligence acts as a judge, jury and executioner?  How far is too far?  

Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt, “The Avengers” series, "Passangers") wakes up tied to a chair facing off with Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson; “Mission Impossible” series, “The Greatest Showman”) in the Mercy court.  

The justice-by-AI program was established a couple of years ago and it’s been proven to be an effective solution in the judicial system.  For one, it’s highly efficient.  It’s also perfectly accurate. Or is it?  

People are required to connect their electronic devices to the cloud so that everything can be captured, tracked and replayed back.  Anyone who is caught for a crime where the probability of guilt is 80% or over will be turned in to the Mercy court, and while restrained, will have exactly 90 minutes to review their case and prove their innocence.  Judge Maddox will converse with the individual and simultaneously rate their guilt score.  

Chris’ guilt score begins at 97.5%, considering the overwhelming evidence of killing his wife, Nicole (Anabelle Wallis), stacked against him.  The surveillance shows everything in living color – history, videos, calls, records of where he was and what he was doing.  If Chris’ guilt score does not fall below 92%, at the end of 90 minutes, he will be automatically executed right in the chair.  

All by AI.  What follows are fast displays of digital, pop-out screens surrounding Chris, detailing his relationships with his wife and teenage daughter, Britt (Kylie Rogers), and tracking his movements leading up to the heinous crime.  

The frantic and fast-flipping of digital scenes display the discovery of his wife’s bloody body at the crime scene, live investigation led by his own partner, Jaq Diallo (Kali Reis), zooming in on conversations and heated arguments, telephone records, social media accounts, live camera feeds on and inside the house, neighborhood, and places Chris and his family have been.  

It doesn’t help Chris’ case that he was found drinking and his relationship with Nicole was already frayed prior to the murder.  Pratt fluctuates between emotional distress and calm determination, not only believing and knowing that he has been framed for murder, which makes it ironic, since he was an early supporter of the Mercy court program.  Then the stake gets even higher for deeply personal reasons.  

Under duress and severe time constraint, Chris must piece together clues, connect the dots, figure out motive and purpose, and save lives.  The webs of connections to get to the discovery and reveal are overly muddled, but the if you see it from an overarching conclusion, the overall story makes sense, even when it doesn’t seem plausible.  Ferguson is a great actress, but here as the all-knowing AI judge, her varying facial expressions are at times odd to see.  

I typically enjoy high-concept sci-fi stories (“Hypnotic,” “Transcendence”), even if they fail in execution or illogically go off the rail.  The same applies to the Timur Bekmambetov-directed (“Wanted”) sci-fi thriller. 

The transparent screens in the sterile room and the flying police motorcycles are sleek.  The stakes couldn’t be higher, with tense and rapid-fire scenes, speeding toward a stretch of SWAT-type of action toward the end.  This is the cool aspect of the movie, especially seen in IMAX 3-D.  

There’s no mercy in the Mercy court system.  It’s a final judgement by timeclock. For all the talk that AI might replace humans, advanced technology isn’t a substitute for gut feeling, human judgment, and reasoning that go beyond surface-level facts (flawed as they may be).  

“Mercy” is a merciless exploration of justice, artificial intelligence and humanity.  

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Press screening "Mercy" hat and personalized poster photo-taking machine (for custom photo): 

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