directed by:
Ewa Pirog-Rojas written by: Alex Kruz genre: Science Fiction |
Visually, when I was reading the synopsis for “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy,” my first thought was that there are a ton of characters & different species we’d need to get to know as we watch this movie. That’s perfect for you Sci-Fi & Fantasy enthusiasts, but bear with the rest of us, will ya? I got the feeling I’d have to do my level best to keep up with this multi-character/multi-dimensional story as it bounced around between the past and the present and introduced us to its extensive cast of humans and aliens.
As we rip into the beginning with some bullets, a quick tour into the Vietnam era, and a mysterious suitcase, we’re soon treated to some scenes with Commander Gerst berating what appears to be his number one dude – and that’s where I started to take some genuine interest. Not that I’m here just to watch people get a strip torn off of’em, but I certainly don’t mind it either – Gerst is funny, and while some of those initial scenes reveal a bit of limitations in the ol’ budget of this Sci-Fi tale, the scenes come across effectively and help us get a sense of what’s goin’ on in “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy.” While that’s not gonna prove to be easy with each and every scene as it plays on, to be completely fair to “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” as we see it here in this incarnation, it’s designed to be a pilot, either as a standalone feature film, or the beginning of a multi-part series. So a lot of the confusion you might feel as you’re trying to settle into this story and figure out what you should or shouldn’t focus on in the details in terms of what will help you understand it all - is honestly comparable to the same feeling you get at the start of watching any series really. We can’t be as confused as the first governmental therapy/questioning session we see onscreen, which goes on to finish with an attempted memory wipe on one of these “Multidimensionals.” Eventually, as you start to continue with viewing these inquisitions/recruitment sessions, you start to see the potential where something like this could go – it’s like the characters are tapping into past lives - and this film goes on to delve into reincarnation theory of sorts, while also keeping a foot in the Sci-Fi realm with its interplanetary ideas. Essentially, you’ve got a gigantic origin story here that could go on to branch out in many directions. I feel like Writer Alex Kruz has the right kind of mind to create the kind of compelling stories that will make a project like this work…it just needs a little time to grow on us, and I’m probably not as convinced that that can be accomplished in the span of one film. I think, from my perspective, he’s gone about this in the right way in how he breaks things down into smaller pieces and where you see things like when Andres Castro (Karson Ramirez) remembers the journey he was once on in a past life. We can really begin to see the full scope by zooming in closer on a singular character – make sense? When I saw those scenes with Andres, I started to wonder if this was more about recruitment or if this was actually about remembering the past, who these people/aliens were, and reconnecting them to reform the group that they once were. It’s not always going to be that easy to follow – in fact, you’ll even get a description right there onscreen that will directly admit, “it gets even more confusing” – followed by Andres himself confessing that he’s “trying to understand, but it’s really difficult” – we feel that way too. There was a particular line that I felt helped sum up what “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” was really all about, better than I could ever put it. “You have to understand where you have been to understand where you are going, and where you are going is usually where you have been.” That’s drawing from the philosophical ideologies around which this whole story is formed, and again, it points directly to the reciprocal nature of reincarnation theory. Hence, you get all the quick cuts as you meet characters for the first time & whatnot, as you’re flashing through what was and what might yet be. As far as some of the technical details are concerned, obviously, there’s work to be done. Again, I’m all about being as objective and fair as I can be, so make no mistake, Director Ewa Pirog-Rojas has done a lot to establish the groundwork for what could definitely become an excellent series. A lot of the camera work is well done, the editing is solid for the most part, and there’s an interesting mix of quality in what we see from the past to the present. Some might see that as a bit of a visual distraction, and I suppose I’d understand that if people felt that way – you can go from a low-budget scene to what seems like costly effects or CGI stuff within mere minutes of each other as you move from scene to scene. In some ways, it adds a unique texture to what you’ll see. In others, it appears a little inconsistent as well. Audio-wise, “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” reveals some trouble in that regard early on, and those never really go away – but again, to be fair, these are the kinds of things that get smoothed out further over the course of a series and increased budgets & such. Right now, “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” takes on the task of establishing the fundamentals in order to continue forward, and for the most part, I could see there’s potential and possibilities in that regard.
As it stands currently, I felt like there was probably too wide of a scope for a pilot episode and that this could have been better served by narrowing the idea a bit more before trying to expand it as much as it does. Obviously, were this to become a full-on series of shows, that’s where you’ve got a bit of an advantage, where you can tailor specific episodes to specific characters, which allows the viewers to immerse themselves more in the overall story as it’s being crafted. Acting-wise, I’d say there are a few standouts, but it’s fairly even if you’re looking at the cast more broadly across the spectrum. Still, it did feel like “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” was somewhat missing that franchise member of the cast that they could really build this entire show around. This pilot film, or first episode of a series, depending on how you view it, went in with the story itself being the main priority, and while that’s certainly important – crucial, really – it kind of happens at the expense of overlooking some of the other details in casting and consistency that are also essential ingredients in helping this achieve its success. The main strengths you’ll find in “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” are the ideas that most closely tap into the philosophies at its core. It doesn’t need to be flashy with the effects, it doesn’t need to have a big budget either – in my opinion, this concept just needs to narrow down a bit & reign itself in to focus on what’s really working…and the more that it does that, which again, it could definitely do in the scope of a series, the further it could potentially go. Honestly, they could get multiple seasons out of its core concept, and they’d still just be scratching the surface of what it could go on to become by the end, so make no mistake, the ideas on display here are as vast as the universe and only limited by imagination. This is the early stages of something that could easily go on to be great, and that’s no different than any show you love…the first season puts the ideas out there, and the rest really comes together over time. I’ll meet this slightly north of the middle – I am definitely interested in the way that “The Multidimensionals: Star Envoy” works with philosophy to bring its concept to life, and if that’s the direction it continues to go, I’d certainly continue to watch. As far as this pilot is concerned, I’m going with three stars out of five, but I can definitely see that this could go on to be a unique series. |
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