‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ critiques AI via a chaotic runtime

Acclaimed director and screenwriter Gore Verbinski has returned in type after a 10-year absence together with his newest action-comedy “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.”

Best recognized for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and “Rango,” Verbinski has moved on from swashbuckling sailors and cowboy chameleons. This time, he’s opened up a complete new can of worms: synthetic intelligence.

The movie follows The Man From The Future, performed by Sam Rockwell, as he travels again in time to recruit a selected mixture of people that will assist him save the world. The downside? He has completely no concept who includes this group of future. 

In the fashionable timeline, society has been overtaken by an omnipotent AI program that has rendered most of humanity out of date via addictive digital actuality simulations. The Man’s purpose is to put in security mechanisms into the AI as it’s being created to change its programming so it prioritizes human life.

During the opening monologue, The Man holds the diner he has traveled again in time to hostage as he picks his group from the choice of unwilling patrons. He explains that that is his 117th try at finishing his mission and that his time-travel expertise permits him to reset on the diner if he senses the present iteration of his project is doomed to fail. 

Rockwell instantly demonstrates his management over The Man’s unconventional mannerisms — disgruntled, battle-hardened, but unquestionably devoted to the trigger. His efficiency serves as a continuing brilliant spot within the movie, bringing an power that serves as a much-needed baseline for when the movie goes off the rails, which sadly is very often.

The storyline is straight away affected by in depth flashbacks and sideplots. Nearly each character on The Man’s group is given over 10 minutes of backstory, which appears useful for character growth however solely serves to tug the viewer away from the principle quest.

The supporting forged does its greatest to maintain up with Rockwell’s tour de power. Among essentially the most notable is Haley Lu Richardson as Ingrid, a woman with a expertise allergy who will get bloody noses every time she is round gadgets of any variety. There can be Juno Temple as Susan, a mom who loses her son to a college capturing. Both characters stability out Rockwell’s gruff but chaotic demeanor nicely. 

The subject lies in such eccentric backstories: The movie doesn’t meaningfully tackle its central theme, targeted on the hazards of AI in our current society. Although trying to be high-concept, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” doesn’t transcend a fundamental anti-AI framework. I hoped it will current a extra nuanced critique of the dealing with of AI. Instead, time is wasted on lackluster motion sequences involving phone-addicted zombie-teenagers and a weird college capturing sideplot during which the dad and mom clone their deceased youngsters. 

The movie actually has its humorous moments — I discovered myself laughing out loud throughout a scene the place two dad and mom cloned their daughter for the fourth time — however with it being two hours and 14 minutes, I do want extra of the jokes landed.

Ultimately, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” doesn’t take itself severely sufficient to be what I’d think about a consequential commentary on the hazards of AI. Despite the shallow depth with which it explores its themes and the barrage of flashbacks, the movie’s excessive power and Sam Rockwell’s stellar efficiency would possibly simply be sufficient to warrant a watch.

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