Finch (2021)

Finch (2021)

7/10

Starring

Tom Hanks

 

Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

 

Finch is one of those movies that just cruises with the time. The calculated casting of Tom Hanks for this character is one of those casting director magic that goes by unnoticed by many and should be applauded. His acting prowess fitted this movie giving us the needed range of emotions that will carry this movie from its start to the very end.

In hindsight, I think this movie would have done better with much more diversity than keeping to the script of various science-fiction movies we have seen in the past. Some originality would have made things a bit better.

Finch’s post-apocalyptic vision of the future and the possible reaction of humans is something we have seen before. The ozone layer gets depleted, and the earth is unable to sustain the humans left alive. And the ones who happen to be alive turn into animals where they kill each other for food. Finch takes a solo man look at this future. Which when I come to think of it, is one of the only few possible outcomes that will be for us humans if the future comes with lack of food and infrastructure to keep us going.

Finch gives us the I am Legend feel, with him and his dog Goodyear scavenging about looking for food in places where other humans have long forgotten and moved on from.

Finch (Tom Hanks) has one problem, his love for his dog seems to have him drawn to a point of fatherly devotion. Finch is dying and he fears his dog will die also if there is no-one there to care for him. Being an engineer before the world turned to melted cheese, He came up with an idea to sae his dog. Finch, locked in his old workplace started working on the construction of a robot, in humanoid form which he will train to care for Goodyear. We see in this future that AI advancement is a thing and not just an idea. As Finch has created many robots in his old workplace to make his life very comfortable.

Our new addition is the robot Jeff which has one main directive which supersedes others, to care for the dog when he is gone.

The weather is changing where they are with the change comes death and possible starvation. This makes them leave their place of enclosure to journey west to the golden bridge of San-Francisco.

This is the journey where Finch teaches Jeff all the things he has to know about caring for the dog and avoiding possible calamities which could endanger the dog.

The movie for me suits the digital release format to which it was releases on Apple TV. Here is a movie that is easy to enjoy and follow as we wish for a miracle that will have Finch make it to see some form of civilization which he will feel comfortable staying with.