L'ultimo giorno sulla Terra

There are a few french science fiction movies that are good. But not this one.

Bad acting, clichés, things that have been ripped off other movies (No country for old men, Armageddon, Melancholia...) Unlikely things that would make SF fans hurl... almost made me laugh.

"The Last Journey of Paul W. R." is set in a post-apocalyptic world on the brink of destruction as the "Red Moon," a massive celestial body, is about to collide with Earth. There's only one man who can save the planet by piloting a rocket loaded with nuclear bombs into this planet-sized object. But just days before the mission, the chosen man, Paul W. R., goes missing.

Visually, this film is stunning, especially considering its modest budget. The director used the budget wisely, creating breathtaking scenes with a unique artistic touch. The blend of futuristic technology and hyperrealistic visuals makes the movie look impressive without feeling cheap at any point.

The main cast includes four key characters: Paul, who's supposed to carry out the mission but decides to run away; his brother, who has always been in Paul's shadow; their eccentric father, who is responsible for the mission and obsessed with destroying the Red Moon; and young Elma, a girl from a broken family who befriends Paul and helps him escape. Both Paul and Elma share a common bond of growing up without their mothers.

The film focuses on the growing friendship between Paul and Elma and the tension between Paul and his brother, who is chasing them. Both brothers have some paranormal abilities. Paul's visions give him glimpses of the future, hinting that something might be off with the mission. Meanwhile, his brother uses his powers destructively.

At its core, the movie explores people trying to deal with the challenges of dysfunctional families and the need to mature, regardless of their age. The characters are trying to escape from their past, but they're forced to face reality, even with the looming cosmic threat. It's a story about friendship, trust, and sacrifice.

Although the movie isn't fast-paced, it's relatively short, and the time passes quickly. I never felt bored and was eager to see how things would unfold. While the ending was a bit predictable, it was still satisfying. I'd recommend this film to sci-fi fans.

The setting is well made hinting at a post-apocalyptic world a bit like the "fallout" game, only with a destructive red moon added for space flavour.

However, that's where the fun ends.

The slow-paced (boring!) unmenacing and humdrum atmosphere does not match the setting's potential.

Instead, random robot soldiers (making annoying noises) and drones are stationed around randomly protecting a derelict society against no particular menace(??), and boringly chasing the "hero". The antagonist is one-dimensional and doesn't really clash against the hero or create meaningful or interesting conflict. Nor is there any discernable plot, with random family flashbacks, and nothing really happening. The story just patters along and along... until the viewer falls asleep or checks the news on teh phone. Yawn!

One extra star for visual effects. That's essentially it.

You get the feeling french film makers wanted to make an American road trip movie with pseudo action-based sci-fi plot. Except why would we want French cinema to copy American cinema? This is neither a road movie, nor an action-based sci-fi film. It's just a cheap imitation, that fails to entertain in absolutely every way. Filled with mindless clichés and the likes.

I couldn't finish this.

Very unique film I saw on Hulu. It said 15 min, but it was 90 minutes. I read later there was a short film in 2017 called THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE ENIGMATIC PAUL WR, 17min, France, Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Directed by Romain Quirot. When we realized it was not the 15 minute long short sci-fi movie we expected I continued to watch it and my husband played on his phone.

So though My husband disliked it, I like French Films and their unique way of telling a story and beautiful cinematography. My husband says that the film was not able to keep his attention and he was bored. Yes, some plot holes, yes some very fuzzy science, but I liked it.