The filmmakers behind the sci-fi exploration film EUROPA
REPORT deserve major credit for putting forth such an earnest effort in their
presentation. Working closely with NASA engineers, director Sebastian Cordero
and his crew sought to put together one of the most realistic and accurate
representations of deep-space travel. That is the backdrop for the story of
EUROPA REPORT; a story which falls less than a light-year short of its
presentation.
When unmanned probes suggest that an ocean underneath the
surface of Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons) may contain life, a privately funded
space exploration company sends six astronauts out to discover the truth.
The framework of EUROPA REPORT is a post-mission report by
the Earth-bound support team who guide us through the steps of the mission.
They do so by presenting us footage from the seemingly millions of surveillance
cameras and flight recorders all over the ship. It’s essentially BLAIR WITCH in
space, and for the most part it works. Director Sebastian Cordero comes up with
clever methods and reasons for cameras and recorders to be present, and there
is never a moment when you are second-guessing why a camera would be there
capturing everything. Cordero fills the lens with some stunning cinematography,
and a few sequences including a harrowing spacewalk and a nail-biting landing
are superb. Overall, the presentation of EUROPA REPORT is solid and never
leaves any gaps.
However, the gaps that do appear are in the film’s overall
story. With such a limited frame for our brave characters to explore, there is
no room for any real drama or character development. Dialogue is limited to
mission parameters or scientific jargon, and nobody is given the chance to
engage each other to any sort of conflict or drama. We eventually find out that
characters are feeling the pressure of a year-long voyage because they stare at
the camera and tell us…revealing a very weak script and a paper-thin A to Z
story with very little meat on the bone. The thin plot is familiar enough to
become frustratingly predictable as things eventually go awry and crew members begin
to bite the dust one-by-one.
Acting is a tad frustrating because everyone does very well
with their limited material, and you can’t help to feel that you would have
liked to have seen them do more. The cast is mostly unknown, with Sharlto
Copley being the biggest name. Copley winds up criminally underused and might
as well have stayed on Earth. The rest of the cast, including Christain
Camargo, Embeth Davidtz, Anamaria Marinca, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Karolina
Wydra, and Dan Fogler are all fine.
The finale wraps up the thin plot nice and tight and brings
about a clever resolution to the overall mission. It unfortunately can be seen
from a lunar mile away, and loses a lot of impact after the reveal. It’s
difficult to be so harsh on EUROPA REPORT because of the effort put forth to
stay real in this current age of spectacle-heavy filmmaking, but ultimately the
film proves that your content has to live up to your presentation.
BOTTOM LINE: Rent it
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