Review: Sci-fi humanoid thriller ‘2307: Winter’s Dream’ plays like a parody
There’s a point early on in “2307: Winter’s Dream” where you wonder if you’re actually watching a spoof of futuristic dystopian sci-thrillers — the sort that has rogue humanoids rising up against what’s left of mankind.
How else to explain all the tired sound bites from the post-apocalyptic movie playlist and parade of cliché-ridden characters uttering Philip K. Dick-wannabe dialogue like, “only liars wear smiles anymore.”
Alas, it soon becomes apparent that director and co-writer Joey Curtis is dead serious regarding this pretentious slog set during a 300-year cold snap in Phoenix (played by an especially snowy Buffalo, N.Y.) where the stoic Bishop (co-writer Paul Sidhu) heads a mission to the “Dead Zone” to hunt down and terminate the errant ’noid leader, ASH-393 (Branden Coles).
Joining the veteran soldier on the quest is the tough-as-nails “Mein Kampf-quoting” Kix (Arielle Holmes) and a Jamaican jokester (Kelcey Watson), as they trudge their way through the icy tundra, foreboding voice-overs and echo-laden flashbacks.
Curtis, who was a co-writer on 2011’s acclaimed “Blue Valentine,” admittedly takes advantage of a record-breaking western New York snowfall to mood-setting effect, but all that smirk-inducing dialogue and the weightless performances inevitably take their toll.
With its arrival in theaters no doubt deliberately coinciding with that of the highly-anticipated “Blade Runner 2049,” the overstuffed production feels as tediously incessant as its endless winter.
-------------
‘2307: Winter’s Dream’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Playing: AMC Orange; AMC Covina; also on VOD
Movie Trailers
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
