The Four Laws of Robotics: Finch (2021) - Reviewed

Images courtesy AppleTV

 Tom Hanks has proven one thing over the course of his career. He can thrive on screen as the only human and can carry an entire film with his bare hands, absolute talent and perfectly rendered versions of the every man. With Finch, Hanks continues his partnership with Apple after their last paired outing, the war drama Greyhound.  

With AppleTV's original movie Finch, he arrives in the post apocalyptic wasteland attempting to survive against the wrath of a planet unhinged. Struggling with the odds stacked against him, his character is partnered with a dog named Goodyear, a small mechanical drone like rover, and a newly built robot named Jeff that is adjusting to a world ravaged by solar flares and destructive weather events that could spell their certain doom.

The resulting film is an emotional one that uses Hanks' skills to full effect even at the cost of a slightly overlong movie that does seem to lose focus at times. However, the dynamic between Hanks' character and Jeff carries it home as the two come to terms with their predicament. Once it moves outside of their home base and changes to a road movie, things get really interesting. The overarching message of teamwork and family definitely helps make this movie work. 

By now, we've all learned that the future cannot and will not be kind. Like so many other films before it, Finch takes long strides to beat us over the head with themes of environmental devastation, personal desperation, and the absolute destruction of human kind as the calamities never end. At each and every turn, our characters are put through the ringer as bad luck meets them at every turn. Director Miguel Sapochnik has nothing new to say with Finch but does manage to turn an a-typical story into quite the tearjerker. Mixing plot elements of Wall-E, The Road and continued story elements of "the last man on earth", Hanks fills out the landscape with another excellent performance. 

Finch meets the challenge of being a science fiction movie with heart and a sense of adventure. Yes, it's all familiar but the dynamic team of characters makes it interesting to say the least. Will they make it to their destination once they leave their safe haven or will they become victims of mother nature's solar wrath? Despite the mostly predictable plot and the familiar elements, Finch gets high marks for Hanks' acting, some great effects work, and a robot named Jeff that will have you rooting for him from the onset. 

-CG