20140422: Thriller Review--The Mark

The Mark

1. Production Fundamentals; Reception
1. American live action feature length film, 2012, rated G, 92 minutes, drama, action.
2. IMDB: 3.7/10.0 from 525 audience ratings.  Estimated budget: 1.5 million USD.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 'No reviews yet...', and 30% liked it from 21 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.3/5.0 from 146,681 audience ratings.
5. Directed by James Chankin.
6. Starring: Craig Sheffer as Chad Turner, Eric Roberts as Cooper, Gary Daniels as Joseph Pike, Ivan Kamaras as Phillyp Turk, Sonia Couling as Dao, Sarah Deakins as Jodie Scott, Carey Scott as Pilot.


2. Setup, Plot
1. Avanti Corporation creates one biometric computer chip intended to have some profound interface with a human being.  If that were not strange enough, their lab was just about to implant the thing inside a chosen test subject when the lab is attacked.  While the lab burns and things are still blowing up, the lab surgeon does an emergency implant into a member of the security force for Avanti, one Chad Turner.


2. Cooper, the failed head of security for Avanti, gets Turner on a plane to a safe place.  That does not work.  For one thing, Joseph Pike is determined to have the chip.


3. The plane is hijacked by three murderers and one tech accomplice.  The attempt at re-taking the plane and killing all the hijackers was almost successful.  The lights go out; when they come back on, some passengers are gone, with their clothes left behind.  (This event was given a spiritual explanation.)  There are more problems than just the departed hijackers.


4. Will the plane land safely?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Mostly ineffective action film with spiritual overtones.
2. Two stars of five.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 2/10 Poor close-ups accompanied by camera shake.  Stupid camera angles.


2. Sound: 7/10 The actors are miked OK.  The music is not all that effective.


3. Acting: 2/10 Absurdly bad.  The lead actor, Craig Sheffer, is perhaps the worst of them all, with Gary Daniels a close second. The pair who played the pilot and co-pilot were terrible.


4. Screenplay: 4/10 The dialog is odd and stilted, especially where Christian beliefs are being injected.  There is not much story stretched over 92 minutes.


5. SFX: 4/10 The mock-up of a commercial passenger jet airplane is ridiculous.  The animated airplane exteriors were not good.