ViewGuide

Created Jul 19, 2012 02:34PM PST • Edited Jul 19, 2012 02:34PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Barely OK 2.0

   It’s a romantic thriller. No wait, it’s a lame sorta scifi story that never really adds up. Pity, because the strong cast works well, with romantic leads Matt Damon and Emily Blunt demonstrating real chemistry.

   How does a misfire like The Adjustment Bureau get made?

   You can just see the producers’ minds working: We can have Democratic Party pinup Damon play a Democratic Senatorial candidate and have him face off with Mad Men’s Roger Sterling wearing a fedora, just like he does on the TV show. There’s even some romance and it’s directed by one of Matt Damon’s Ocean’s and Bourne writers, so it should sell tickets.

   Instead it proves the old Hollywood maxim: No one knows anything.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Matt Damon is always watchable and remains easy to root for. Emily Blunt matches up well to him, proving a bit of a revelation using her native British accent in an American movie.

   The strong supporting cast includes Anthony Mackie (largely wasted), John Slattery (in full Roger Sterling attire) and Terence Stamp (authoritative as always).

   Notable are the rich complement of Left Wing political and media personalities who get cameos, including Jon Stewart and Michael Bloomberg. There seemed to be many more in early scenes who aren’t recognized by IMDb. Are they embarrassed?

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Pretty Bad 1.5

    The slight story has no third act, perhaps because it’s taken from a short story, a Philip K. Dick short story, but a short story nonetheless. Notwithstanding that other Dick short stories inspired fully plotted films, this one didn’t.

11. Direction Pretty Bad 1.5

12. Play Bad 1.0

13. Music Barely OK 2.0

14. Visuals Barely OK 2.0

    De facto angels who look like 1950s Republicans is a decent visual device, but it goes nowhere and turns ridiculous.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.7

17. Sex Titillating 1.6

18. Violence Gentle 1.5

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

21. Reality

    Supernatural 3.5

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.1

23. Biological Fantasy 4.1

24. Physical Fantasy 4.2