90-Minute Netflix: Future World - The Charm James Franco Was Hiding

A long 90 minutes feels like a first for me. I have seen bad and wretched hour-and-a-half lengthened features, but I could never say long. Lengthy is something that may not hold your attention, but it may not be the genre. Low budget knock offs are what Blockbuster Video fans long for. If the concept is as good as James Franco's "Future World" and featuring a Milla Jovovich role, I am in it till the last minute.

Ash (Suki Waterhouse) is a robot built at the peak of technological advancement. Realizing the history and malice of her creators that lead to an apocalypse that lacked zombies or nukes, she decides to erase her memory. It is better to be a relic than a tool. Unfortunately, an artifact is not what Warlord (Franco) and his bikers need.

Prince (Jeffrey Wahlberg) was born in the oasis, a peaceful commune in the scorched wasteland. Peace is maintained because they have the only working ammunition in the world. When Prince's mother (Lucy Liu) falls ill to the plague of the era, the red fever, he determines that by packing a little heat, he and his compadres can make it to Paradise Beach and find the cure their matriarch needs. Of course the luck runs out when they run into Warlord and his new robotic bride.

After murdering a few people and dealing with the annoyance of Warlord's presence, the awoken robot decides she needs to set some grounds for morality. Saving Prince and sending her husband on a wild goose chase seemed to be a good start. If she can get the kid to Paradise Beach and the cure, all should at least be even Steven. Surely there are no more nuts of higher acclaim in the cast. Jovovich only plays stable characters...right?

The cast of "Future World" knows what you are supposed to do with a film seeming inspired by "Cyborg 2." That is to chew the scenery and enjoy every bite of it. With Snoop Dog and Method Man in the cast, fans of B-movies know this will not be a waste of time.

You have to have a taste for the tacky to enjoy a flick like this. The actors are here to have fun and get scale. When you arrive on a "set" where it is jut a burnt out hotel with some faux graffiti, what else are you going to do? If you do not focus of being over the top, the movie is going to be "Cyborg."

Now, I dug "Cyborg" because no one seeming could act, so it is a fun train wreck. "Future World" qualifies as a movie. The script is articulate enough and it may have the talent to be a respectable "Road Warrior" knock off. It has a quest that feels like an 80's animated film, and if you have that, I will feel nostalgic. "Future World" can only be a B-flick, so it is a success.

For those who need a well-made film to keep their attention, the lack of well-made inanimate object will have you turning this title off. Wise scenery choices instead of minimal effort could have made this an American "Mad Max." I at least hope that is what director Franco was going for. Sand is the best looking part of the sets. I suppose only George Miller is the only person who can shoot that.

"Future World" was probably a wild pitch that took any money it could get. You have to respect it for letting Jovovich do what she does best. It has to be appreciated for not being overly complicated sci-fi to justify its shortcomings. And any movie with Snoop as the Love Lord is worth $1.75.

Why they didn't put that in his billing may be the dumbest thing this film did.