Future Justice

First off I want to give full disclosure that I did donate money to help make this film and I am listed as a producer. Having said that I can also say that very few film makers get as much bang for their buck then Richard Griffin. Griffin is a big fan of 70's horror and sci-fi from the USA and Europe. This film was inspired in many ways by a 48 hour short he did several years ago called Mutants of the Apocalypse. The short was about a nuked world taken over by vile evil mutants led by the disembodied head of Adolph Hitler. This film shares none of that story except for the nuked world part. The story begins on Titan where a cryo prison exists. The most famous of convicts there Python Diamond has served his cryo term and is being shipped back to Earth for his permanent sentence. As the shuttle approaches the Earth it is discovered that the planet has been mostly destroyed by nuclear weapons deployed by an unknown power or powers. They land and are beset by a roving gang that wants all their food and weapons. With Python leading the way they fight back with other survivors but there is something lurking underneath them all. The story is somewhat basic but it's execution is where this film truly shines. Richard is surrounded by very talented actors and actresses. He uses their skills to the utmost and they lift what some might consider tired material and give you something fresh. The screenplay was done by the star Nathaniel Silva (he also plays Python) and is ably supported by Steven O'Broin as the principal villain Gazeebo. Also the film stars Aaron Andrade as Major Uxbridge the CO of the prison transport team, Elyssa Baldasarri, Johnny Sedequest, Rich Tretheway, and Michael Thurber portraying a slightly demented version of himself. This is a fun popcorn film that isn't overly long so it doesn't drag.

Bad acting, bad script. I hoped this movie would be fun to watch. It wasn't. Streamed for free on Tubi: a junkyard, thrift store, garage sale of movies.

With zombies being so big in pop-culture these days it's not much of a surprise that most people think of the creatures when it comes to media focusing on the apocalypse and its aftermath. Coupled with the fact that horror always seems to be the go-to thing for most indie genre filmmakers, it's really nice to see director Richard Griffin make an 80s inspired (of the likes of action classics like the MAD MAX films and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK) post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film in 2014. While FUTURE JUSTICE owes elements to the movie ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, it's actually closer in structure to John Carpenter's earlier film ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. So in that sense, FUTURE JUSTICE plays very much in the vein of classic siege and survival movies. The film even has a NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD vibe to it too as it has the subterranean shelter element with a group of protagonists that have to deal with conflict amongst themselves along with a larger threat. Aesthetically though, the movie owes less to some of the larger scale US and Australian post-apoc movies than it does to the relatively short-lived fad of Italian post-apoc movies that capitalized on those other movie's success. And in that regard, FUTURE JUSTICE has the feel of Enzo G. Castellari's BRONX films in terms of the abandoned city block exteriors and dusty, concrete interiors. Also when it comes to the movie's gangster antagonists, they have a very mishmash look to their weaponry and costuming not unlike the scavenging gangsters of a lot of the Italian films. Even looking at some of the military characters in FUTURE JUSTICE, they wear the black riot helmets that seemed mandatory for whatever evil Fascist troopers would be employed to take on the heroes in the Italian films. Also of note is the film's pounding, 1980s-esque, synthy music score by composer Daniel Hildreth. Definitely brings to mind 70s/80s John Carpenter music predominately, but is also reminiscent of some Italian composers of the likes of Claudio Simonetti. The music definitely fits the film well and aids in giving it the really cool retro vibe that it has.

As a film, FUTURE JUSTICE gets quite a bit of mileage out of its low-budget. The film doesn't utilize a whole bunch of different physical locations, but has much more scope than what the meager budget might lead many to believe it has. One of the best assets of the film are the visual effects. The filmmakers employ a good mix of practical and CGI effects, and the CGI never feels overbearing or excessive like a lot bigger budget Hollywood productions. While it's difficult to explain exactly why, an obviously CGI spaceship featured early on actually brought on more of a miniature (original STAR WARS trilogy, first two ALIEN films in particular) vibe. In any case, that type of tasteful and limited use of CGI is what sets the film's look apart from a lot of the manufactured looking Hollywood films that employ dozens of VFX artists. Along with the well utilized practical effects (Griffin and his crew clearly have this down after making so many horror films on the cheap), FUTURE JUSTICE has a rawness to it that makes it suspenseful and exciting. The only real nit-pick to make would be some of the CGI blood spatter that shows up (albeit briefly) as it has an empty feel to it.

As far as the performances go, there are definitely actors and characters that stand out the most. Steven O'Broin as the villain Gazeebo is probably the most memorable and well acted role. He comes off as tough and brutal throughout (even to the point of being armed with a crossbow that shoots exploding arrows) while the pairing of a villain named Gazeebo facing off against a hero bearing the ridiculous (but insanely badass) name of Python Diamond is a funny touch. Diamond (Nathaniel Sylva) isn't quite as imposing or memorable, but he makes for an interesting lead nonetheless (especially with the whole "terrorist or freedom fighter?" back story he's given). Another standout is Aaron Andrade as Uxbridge-- a character that's such an over-the-top asshole he's just incredibly fun to watch. There are some good supporting roles as well with Pat Hawkridge playing sort of a motherly character to Gazeebo and his two grizzled henchmen Rag and Tag (kind of like post-apocalyptic versions of Coffer and TC from THE WILD BUNCH). A lot of these supporting roles are very comedic and Michael Thurber is hilarious playing a tuxedo clad caricature of pretentious, full-of-themselves thespians. If I had to pick a character I didn't really enjoy it'd have to be Meg (Casey Wright) as her dialog just got a little too weird and on the annoying side of things after a while. It's mostly a minor detraction though in what is a pretty good ensemble cast/group of characters.

FUTURE JUSTICE is a highly entertaining flick with a good amount of action scenes. While it might be missing a real signature shootout of Peckinpah or Castellari quality, it's peppered with plenty of exciting skirmishes and fights throughout its running time. It's a well paced film and one that certainly seems like it would have a great deal of re-watch value. If you like old-school action flicks (particularly of the 80s sci-fi variety), you will no doubt enjoy FUTURE JUSTICE!