This is an interesting movie. A Canadian-American joint venture.
It starts out as something and then turns into something else. And then it turns again into something else.
The actors are relatively unknown but they do a good job on the film. As it starts, a small girl, Chloe, is warned by her father not to step outside as it is very dangerous. The father goes out to get all the essentials, leaving her alone, and the one time when she goes out he totally freaks out. She defies him of course and goes when he is not in – she is totally alarmed when he comes back once with a wound.
You think that this is an apocalyptic movie like I Am Mother and are waiting to see what would develop. But there are scenes where she sees other kids in the neighbourhood behaving normally and going out to buy ice cream in the van. Then you think that the father is a psycho.
Meanwhile we learn that her mother is dead and her father is the one looking after her. But bizarre scenes of a woman in chains keep appearing like a mirage in front of her.
Once when her dad is asleep (or away, I cannot remember which) she sneaks out after stealing some coins from the house and goes to buy ice cream and the man who sells ice cream convinces her to go with him. An old man and a creep? You wonder. Maybe here is the real story. But no. He claims to be her grandfather – her mother’s father and also claims that her mother is not dead but alive.
He wants to use Chloe’s powers to get the mother, who is the old man’s daughter, released.
And the real story comes out. These people are mutants, or ‘freaks’ who have special powers and are despised by and feared by the normal populace. Sounds familiar? Yes, this is the plot of X Men.
But here, the treatment is very different and the rest of the story deals with how the girl deals with the power and whether she can find and rescue her mother, against the wishes of the father who wants them to blend in and not use any special powers they may have.
She also comes across as a brat, wanting to stay with the normal people and hating his father for keeping her safe. She repeatedly steps into danger without realizing it or if she did, disregarding it.
The story gets real interesting when you realize what the special powers of hers is, and not only that, realizing that her entire family (father, grandfather – yes that creepy looking old man was really her grandpa – and mother ) have different powers (Now it begins to remind you of Incredibles).
All in all, an entertaining movie, with tension and plot twists and the evil authorities trying to hunt them down – yes, some section of the government wants to hunt them and kill them all, which is why the dad kept her hidden – and action galore.
Not the posh and pomp of the Disney superhero movies, and ideas copied from many other movies, but still it somehow works.
Enjoyable.
6/10
– – Krishna
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