teh_mode Review of Renaissance

Renaissance (2006)

An intriguing and innovative style of film-making is wasted on a formulaic, clichéd story.

[5/10 · 22 September 2006]

Set in 2054 Paris, Renaissance has Daniel Craig voicing our protagonist, a (surprisingly) renegade cop investigating the kidnapping of a woman, after she disappeared from a club. His plight is further complicated when he uncovers seedy information about Avalon, the city's biggest company, who may have something to do with her disappearance. This relatively uninspiring tale of one man's search to uncover the truth behind a global conglomerate's surge towards everlasting youth and beauty is told through an interesting choice of cinematography and style: a mixture of rotoscope and fluid animation, all done in black and white palette. Whilst this initially looks relatively impressive, the novelty of it wears off fast, and inevitably looks unimpressive. It is certainly not a patch on similarly styled films of the past such as A Scanner Darkly (2006) or Sin City (2005). Fans of video games will get the feeling they are watching one really long cut-scene. The plot, possessing whatever little resonance it has, is done no favours by the completely clunky dialogue, delivered as monotonously as you'd like from the voice talent. It's a shame because there were things I really wanted to like about Renaissance. The only times it feels like really clicking in to second gear are the all too brief action scenes. There's a half-decent shootout within a green house, and a rather cartoonish car chase. But the characters are all far too hackneyed and one-dimensional: the blabbering scientist, the rogue cop, the femme fatale, the cackling bad guy, sprightly vodka drinking Russians, believe me – they all make an appearance. This certainly isn't a patch on Anime Manga, nor does it posses any of the depth that made Ghost In The Shell a three-dimensional experience. An intriguing, if inevitably unsatisfying experience.