'Finch (2021)' is, essentially, exactly what you'd expect it to be. It's an inoffensive, low-key sci-fi set in a post-apocalyptic future about a man who builds a robot to look after his dog. The main problem with the piece is that it doesn't really know what it wants to be. Nailing down exactly what it's about, for lack of a better term, is quite difficult and it doesn't seem to have a proper underlying theme to it. Is it about the relationship between the robot and the dog, as its premise would suggest, or is it about the relationship between the man and his companions, as the title would suggest? Is it about the robot coming to terms with his blossoming sentience or is it about the man coming to terms with his dire situation? The answer to all of these questions is, more or less, "yes" - even though they aren't really "yes or no" questions. It wants to be about all these things but, as a result, ends up not really being about any of them. Don't get me wrong, it's entertaining enough. There are some charming moments, mainly surrounding the innocence of the robot and the inherent 'doginess' of the dog, and Hanks' almost 'one-man show' acting hits home as much as his performances tend to. The visual effects are also surprisingly excellent. From what I understand, the robot is brought to life via a combination of practical puppeteering and computer generated imagery; both are as convincing as each other, and the general performance of the machine man is wonderfully convincing. The overall movie just isn't all that compelling, though. Its music, both original and licensed, isn't all that great, either (which is, frankly, astounding considering that the composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, is the same guy who did the music for 'The Last Of Us (2013)' and its sequel). Ultimately, this is a perfectly fine slice of science-fiction that has some highlights but is mostly just a bit inconsequential. It's underwhelming, really. It's entertaining enough for what it is, though, and those who love dogs will probably get a kick out of it. 6/10.
Review of Finch
