I’ve been eagerly waiting for the release of Liongates’ Chaos Walking for quite sometime now. Obviously, with the current climate the film faced some delays, as did many other movies. But we are just days away. While many of us won’t be able to enjoy it on the big screen, at least we can watch it at home with our feet up on the sofa and with the most revolutionary feature… the pause button.
I was lucky enough to receive early access to Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley’s latest sci-fi adventure. Now, before I crack on with the review I think it’s important to get this off my chest… I haven’t read the trilogy by Patrick Ness. However, I did pick them up the moment I finished watching. I think that acts as a small indication to my overall thoughts. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. First we have to ask the ultimate question, what is Chaos Walking?
In the not-too-distant future, Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) discovers Viola (Daisy Ridley), a mysterious young woman who crash lands on his planet, where all the women have disappeared and the men are afflicted by The Noise – a force that puts all of their thoughts on display. In this dangerous landscape, Viola’s life is threatened, and as Todd vows to protect her, he must discover his own inner power and unlock the planet’s dark secrets.
Daisy Ridley as Viola
The above is a very simplistic way of looking at Chaos Walking. There’s a deep history at the heart of the planet. In the year 2257 A.D., on a distant planet known as New World, the male settlers are bombarded every second of every day with each other’s thoughts, in the form of an unrelenting cacophony of sounds, called The Noise. It eventually drove the men insane because women could also hear and see their thoughts, while the women’s remained hidden. After the women were killed off, purportedly by the planet’s indigenous species known as the Spackle, the men remain haunted, if not tortured, by the endless barrage of their thoughts come to life.
I was immediately captured by the overall premise of this film and by the world and its strange aura. Looking at the bigger picture, Chaos Walking does a great job at building the world and introduces some really interesting plot points. Unfortunately, that same aspect is also where the film struggles. As I mentioned before, I haven’t read the books. But you don’t need to be a genius to work out that something drastic happens. Why else would Chaos Walking consist of three different books?
The film mentions and builds on some aspects that could be used to propel the narrative forward- The Spackle, a war with other clans, The Mayor of Prentisstown, and the prospect of new settlers. However, Chaos Walking feels like a very well rounded story where the good prevail and those potential plot points seemingly fade away. If Chaos Walking doesn’t get a sequel, you still get a pretty decent self contained story. The problem is, we know that the world has a lot more to offer yet the film seems incredibly confident that there will be no part two.
“I’m Todd Hewitt”
One of the biggest hooks for me was the inclusion of Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, and Mads Mikkelsen. Oh, and Manchee. The entire cast functions really well. Especially since we focus primarily on Todd and Viola which I will discuss shortly. However, much like the problem above, the inclusion of particular characters like the Mayor’s son, played by Nick Jonas, seemed like a missed opportunity. Once again, I’m at a disadvantage since I’m not sure how the events unravel in the books. But, Davy Prentiss Jr had a lot of potential and I have a feeling he plays quite a significant role in the trilogy. Yet here, he acts as a minor obstacle who definitely has a lot more to add but is restricted by, what I would call, the studio’s confidence.
The same logic can be applied to the main antagonist David Prentiss, played by the wonderful Mads Mikkelsen. As you’ll soon discover, Prentiss has a deep history in forming one of the major settlements on New World and they definitely explore that. But again, it feels as though he could have contributed more. He’s obsessed with power and control, that much is clear, and that’s something that could have been explored fully or teased further if the studio had more faith.
The Mayor of Prentisstown and his army
Controlling one settlement isn’t enough for him, and any lapses in decorum feel like a personal attack against him. Having said that, Mikkelsen delivers a great performance as villain who uses his brain and Noise rather than brute force. There’s something about Mikkelsen’s demeanor and presence that will forever be captivating. He’s just one of those actors who can garner the attention of the audience with absolute ease.
I’m sure many people are used to seeing Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Daisy Ridley as Rey. So, this was a great opportunity to see them explore a completely different avenue and I thought they were excellent. Holland’s Todd is a very sweet and innocent guy who tries to act tough. The men are the strong, tough and brave rulers of this world and he struggles with that.
When he meets Viola he tries to maintain that persona but her presence has a really endearing effect on him. She softens him and allows him to be vulnerable. So there’s this lovely mix of vulnerability and strength that Holland juggles perfectly. Also, with Viola being the first female he has encountered, it makes for some really funny moments and Holland has always been able to absolutely nail that awkward vibe. There’s something very fun and relatable, even in a sci-fi setting, about that nervous and awkward disposition.
Nick Jonas as David “Davy” Prentiss Jr.
While Todd hilariously comes to grips with the presence of a female, Ridley’s Viola takes on the role as a nurturer who helps Todd with his own insecurities, and as a strong and capable woman who will go to great lengths to fend for herself and achieve her goal. Together, they both help each other. Not just within the story, but as individuals. They get to know how both of their worlds operate and they guide each other to overcome obstacles and personal challenges. Their chemistry is fantastic and their bond is probably the strongest aspect of the film. It was truly a pleasure to watch.
How could I forget about The Noise. The Noise is a really fascinating element that massively contributed to the overall world-building as well as my enjoyment. It’s a unique entity that really becomes a character by itself whilst simultaneously giving every single character a second identity. Their physicality and attitude may give off a certain vibe but their thoughts betray them. What’s incredibly interesting is that each character’s Noise manifests in a certain way. The Priest (David Oyelowo) for example has an incredibly violent Noise due to his very extreme biblical thoughts. His Noise rages like a burning fire whereas The Mayor’s is controlled and even hidden. It’s visual presence is really well crafted and takes the form of both images and dialogue.
Todd and Viola take a plunge
I think the only issue I had was that multiple characters interacting with Noise could be somewhat confusing. It’s very minimal but it does require your full attention. Regardless of that, The Noise itself was a highlight. It plays a very important role in the entire story and it intricately shows us a different side to particular characters, especially Todd who has a really hard time controlling his Noise.
It probably seems like I’m being fairly negative towards Chaos Walking. I did enjoy it. I thought it was a really visually appealing film that was exciting, fun, and interesting. The characters were great and since we spent most of the time with Todd and Viola, their relationship became very believable and I found myself feeling very invested in their journey despite it being fairly predictable. There are some really funny scenes that are delivered brilliantly by Holland and it’s also able to handle some pretty intense action scenes. Additionally, Todd and Viola’s adventure introduces us to a world that is very intriguing.
The major problem is that it seems as though the studio had very little faith in this endeavor and unfortunately that has a bleeding effect that seeps through the actual story as well as the characters. It’s a real shame because this was a very promising start. I would love for them to continue but with how the story develops, I’d be incredibly surprised if we received a Chaos Walking 2.
From Doug Liman, the director of The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow, Chaos Walking is based on the beloved best-selling novel The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness. Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland star with Mads Mikkelsen, David Oyelowo, Nick Jonas, Demián Bichir, Kurt Sutter, and Cynthia Erivo.
Chaos Walking is available for premium rental at home on all digital platforms from 2nd April.
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