When an all-powerful Superintelligence chooses to study average Carol Peters (Melissa McCarthy), the fate of the world hangs in the balance. As the A.I. decides to enslave, save or destroy humanity, it’s up to Carol to prove that people are worth saving.
Chuck says:
Though I have never met Melissa McCarthy, I can tell that she is a very loyal person. How did I come to this conclusion? Because she continues to make films directed by her hapless husband Ben Falcone. Having helmed Tammy, The Boss, and Life of the Party – movies that collectively did not cause this particular critic to laugh a single time- he still has the cache to get behind the camera for the latest in his series of bland comedies. I can only surmise that he’s able to do this thanks to McCarthy’s influence.
The laughless streak continues here as McCarthy stars as a woman who an Artificial Intelligence program (voice by James Cordon) that has achieved consciousness dubs as the most average person alive. He intends to wipe out all of humanity, unless our heroine can convince him that humans are worth saving.
I’m still not sure how her reuniting with her former flame (Bobby Cannavale) goes towards achieving this but the bulk of the story is devoted to this endeavor. The rest is a painful series of scenes featuring government agents trying to disable the malevolent AI.
There is not a single laugh to be had here, while the chemistry between McCarthy and Cannavle is non-existent. Painful and dull, this is one of the biggest timewasters of the year.
1 Star.
