Mixed emotions. That's how we could best describe our thoughts on the sci-fi film "Outside the Wire". On one hand, it had a very solid premise, concepts, and twist. But on the other hand, the film simply lacked soul and direction. In fact, "Outside the Wire" was generic and extremely convoluted most of the way.
It's 2036 and warfare as we know it is completely different. In the future, human soldiers are supplemented by manned drones and Gumps - self-aware robot soldiers. The United States is in the middle of an armed conflict within Kazakhstan acting as peacekeepers. Lt. Thomas Harp (Damson Idris) is a drone pilot with a stellar record but all of this goes to waste when he disobeys a direct order to stand down and kills two American soldiers in the battlefield. As punishment, Harp is sent to work with Captain Leo (Anthony Mackie). Captain Leo reveals that he and Harp are tasked to prevent a terrorist from taking over the war. This is easier said than done as Harp has never had any experience inside a warzone. Can Harp survive a real battlefield?
"Outside the Wire" had a lot of interesting concepts that could have worked to its favor. Obvious out of these were everything about the future of warfare but for us, it was about the morality of one decision and deciding between lesser evils. Unfortunately, the film failed to flesh out any of its high-level ideas beyond their face values making this a pretty pointless affair. But worse, the character development and pacing was very off. Most of the film was extremely convoluted with a lot of twists and turns along the way. And to be honest, we had a hard time following its plot and we couldn't care less what happened to a majority of its characters. The film eventually found its footing about three-fourths of the way within the film but by then it was a little bit too late. Of course, for the film's strongest points, it provided excellent (especially considering this is a Netflix release), entertaining and fast-paced action and if you're out for a brainless two hour viewing then "Outside the Wire" will be pretty much perfect. But there's just this sinking feeling it could have done and been so much more than a generic sci-fi action film.
Rating: 2 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- provides excellent action
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- so much wasted potential with its concepts on war
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