Chris Pratt stars as Chris Raven in “Mercy” from Amazon MGM Studios (Photo Credit: Justin Lubin).
(“Mercy” trailer courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios)
Dang it!
Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is exciting.
On the 0ther hand, A.I. is also very terrifying and manipulative.
However, A.I. has never been more terrifying than in the new movie “Mercy” starring Chris Pratt because although A.I. can make things more proficient, while cutting costs, it can also lead to some unpredictable results if not used in conjunction with the human touch and sensibilities.
The future will become more dependent on A.I.
That is guaranteed.
As a result, much will change from the world many people grew up in, in comparison to the reality of the very near future.
Nevertheless, people do not change drastically even if the technology changes.
Therefore, the people of the near future will have many of the same problems as the people in the past because technological advancement does not always advance the human condition or civility.
Like in previous generations, police officer Chris Raven (Pratt) must deal with a major crime epidemic.
Crime puts people’s lives in danger.
But it also puts a strain on people’s resources because criminal trials, deaths and lost property becomes expensive.
However, with the modern marvels of A.I., the criminal justice system can really take it to the next level with unbiased, fact-based A.I. judges who can retrace a suspect’s steps thanks to cell phone data and an endless amount of surveillance cameras.
The Mercy court can conduct a trial and sentence a suspect in a matter of an hour and a half.
Then, the Mercy system becomes judge, jury and executioner, ending the necessity of death row and stopping overcrowded prisons.
The Mercy system is also a great deterrent for crime because if wannabe criminals know that they have no way of beating the system, they might be more inclined to get in line with the system by walking the straight and narrow.
Most importantly, humans all have biases.
So, it is plausible that guilty people walk Scot free from their crimes because they found a loophole in the game.
With Mercy, there is no loophole.
A suspect does not even get arrested unless there is an over 90 percent chance at conviction.
Therefore, all suspects are presumed guilty until proven innocent.
Although the Mercy judicial system might seem harsh, suspects do have due process.
But if they do not prove their own innocent in an hour and a half, their life will be past due, and the Grim Reaper will soon appear to collect on that overdue bill.
In the movie “Mercy,” Chris Raven is one of the new system’s biggest proponents.
But when he wakes up, shackled in a Mercy court, and accused of murdering his own wife Nicole Raven (Annabelle Wallis), he will have to rely on his skills as a police officer to prove his innocence.
That is if he is really innocent at all.
Unfortunately, Chris Raven suffers from a severe drinking problem.
On top of that, he has been cursed with the family’s sin of short tempers.
When alcoholism combines with a volatile temper, even the nicest person can do something heinous.
And if the drinking problem is severe enough, the alcoholic might not even remember committing a crime in the first place.
Thankfully, the Mercy courts allow suspects to look at camera footage, which is extremely beneficial to someone with police experience like Chris.
Furthermore, the courts allow suspects to call people who could assist in helping them prove their innocence.
But how can Chris Raven find anyone to help him with his case when the Mercy system is supposedly flawless, combined with the fact that his case is plastered on the news, even turning some of his relatives against him?
Whatever he does, he better do it quickly because the system has no mercy on a man who kills his own wife and the mother of his only child, Britt (Kylie Rogers).
“Mercy” is unique because Hollywood has not used A.I. for a movie’s theme quite like this Timur Bekmambetov-directed feature film.
Bekmambetov does a fabulous job.
Pratt movies, and action movies in general, are not known for great acting performances.
But the movie is such an unpredictable adrenaline rush, moviegoers probably will not care about a thespian’s skill level.
Per usual, for anyone who watches true crime shows, the perpetrator is often someone who already has a relationship with the victim.
That is why criminal investigations begin with family members before branching out to friends then co-workers and acquaintances.
Chris and Nic definitely have their marital issues, with Nic even contemplating divorce.
But is their marriage so far gone that it would lead to a brutal homicide?
Unfortunately, video footage places Chris at the scene of the crime around the time frame of Nic’s murder.
And the eye in the sky does not lie, especially when there is no other footage of anyone near Nic’s home at the time of the murder.
From the outset, moviegoers will try to determine the real killer, assuming that it is not a drunken Chris.
However, when moviegoers finally discover who the killer is and why that person killed Nic, it will throw the whole system up in flames.
Audiences will cheer for Chris, realizing that despite his flaws, he is still a man that wants to do right by family and community.
They will feel deeply for Britt who might lose both of her parents in one day.
And if she suffers that much tragedy in one day, dang.
How can a person not feel for a young teenager experiencing so much pain, so early in life?
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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