Future X-Cops – Review

In the year 2080, Kidd, played by Andy Lau, and his wife, Millie, were urgently summoned to protect Dr. Masterson. This doctor is widely acclaimed as the Father of Solar Energy, because he invented a cheap technology to make use of Solar Energy to replace fossil fuel and made the world a greener place. For some reason, oil tycoons get angry and they have to protect him from being assassinated. As much as I praise Thai movies I always feel myself hating Chinese productions more and more. Over and over again Chinese movie makers have insulted our intelligent and also make Chinese in general look like fools to the rest of the world.  Where did this awkward, CGI-powered, sci-fi cop thriller come from? Wherever it was from, it sure doesn’t seem like a place of originality.

I suppose why it is getting reviewed is one, I am excited to see Andy Lau away from the scandals and back to making films, and secondly the premise sounded cool. I mean, the only way he stands a chance against the super powered cyborgs is to relinquish his humanity and become one of them. If by any chance you’re watching this and the plot doesn’t make sense to you, well, it’s because it doesn’t have to. Hong Kong films are known to be short on production value and huge on stunts.

Future X-Cops had finished filming last year, and it was supposed to be on the screens around February. Then, the crew said the special effects weren’t finished yet, changing the screening dated to the same with Hong Kong’s. For having to delay a film to improve the CG, I am completely dumbfounded since the special effects are awful. I would say about almost 90 percent of it was made with actors acting in front of the green screen. At times, the actors look a little confused –  where to look or how to react.  The movie tried too hard to recreate a futuristic landscape.

Still determined to regain control of the world’s energy, the cartel send Kalon and his cyborgs back in time to the present to kill Dr. Masterson as a teenager. I did think this was pretty cool. It is just a shame the presentation is filled with inconsistencies. The romance side plot was fake and unbelievable. For me, it seems that Future X-Cops carries a divided storyline and too much has been left out, resulting in a story that’s left hanging. An unwavering love of impossibly cheesy Hong Kong action is required for maximum enjoyment. If you can handle that, then I am sure there is something in this mess that can satisfy.