Critics panned this movie so hard that I had to see this for myself.  While I can’t say this was the most phenomenal movie I’ve ever seen, I will say that I wasn’t necessarily disappointed either.  I thought it was good for what it was and, if anything, I wouldn’t have minded if a few of the scenes were cut-down to make room for further expansion on certain other parts of the story.  Spoilers will be littered throughout the entry from this point.

What I liked about this movie was, as frustrating as some of the characters could be at times in the way they reacted to situations—it was all very human.  While the action-packed scenes and the science might have been a little too farfetched, I don’t think the emotions of the characters were.  Honestly, I think there was something relatable about each character.

For example, as frustrating as Natalie Martinez’s character could be at times (like how it made absolutely no sense why her character would think that a vehicle driving into a forest was normal everyday thing people do, and that running towards said vehicle for help was a good idea), I could still understand her making irrational decisions while in a state of panic.  Same for Victor Garber’s character.  While I think he could have done a better job as a friend, I can also understand why he thought he was doing the right thing by his friend at first.

As for the acting, I think Ben Kingsley did a great job setting the stage, so to speak, for Ryan Reynolds to play his character, and I think Reynolds did a great job in playing two different personalities.  I would also have to say the same for Matthew Goode as Albright/Dr. Jensen.

Speaking of which, I think that if anything, I would have liked to see more of Goode’s character’s backstory.  Not his role as Dr. Jensen, but his role as the original Albright, before Dr. Jensen took over.  Who was the real Albright?  What was he like?  Did he voluntarily agree to partake in Dr. Jensen’s project, or was he somehow forced?

In terms of story expansion, I also wouldn’t have minded if Reynolds’ role as Damian had been given a bit more of a cathartic moment.  I honestly would have actually loved to see Reynolds reveal himself as Damian and have a last conversation with his daughter, give a condensed explanation as to why he looks like Reynolds instead of Kingsley, and why he cannot stay with her before leaving.  Perhaps that might have been too cliché, but I would have totally been okay with that.

Was the ending predictable?  Sure.  In some ways, so was most of the movie, but because of how much I felt like I could relate to both the characters of Damian and Mark, I was fine with the way it ended.

Final Thoughts: More often than not, I don’t align with the critics.  While it can be argued that they might be good for setting initial expectations, when it comes to movies, I take it all with a grain of salt.  Not one to formulate my opinion based on what everyone else seems to be thinking, I’m very happy that I decided to take a chance on this one.  I would recommend seeing this in theaters or as a rental when it comes out.