Code 8 Part II (1 or 2)
In 2019, the crowdfunded sci-fi action movie Code Eight hit Netflix, starring Robbie and Stephen Amell. The duo is now back for a sequel, In a world where 4% of the population are born with abnormal powers and heavily policed by high-tech robotics, an ex-con teams up with the drug lord he despises to protect a young girl from police officers. Now, this story takes place only a handful of years after Code Eight ends.
Robbie Amell's Connor is released from prison, now trying to just stay under the radar and keep to himself, staying out of trouble and just attempting to exist. Stephen Amell as Garrett is doing pretty much the exact opposite. He's now one of the larger dealers of psych and has a group of thugs that work for him.
When one of those thugs gets off by the police, his younger sister, who witnessed the murder, becomes the new target and then unexpectedly runs into Connor, who begins to look after her. Even though the Amell brothers are top build, Serena Goulamagas, who plays the sister Pavani, she really is the focus of the story. I enjoyed her presence on screen because she carries herself with tenacity and strength, but also showcases massive vulnerability.
She also has a good snarky chemistry with Connor, making their conversations humorous while also being a bit biting. I was really impressed with the special effects in the first movie. The robots and they were convincing, as were the powers that the characters showcased. And that pretty much holds true in this sequel.
When Connor conjures up his shocky fingers and unleashes blue lightning on his opponents, the electricity looks great. And I especially love when a powered character's eyes begin to light up, letting us know that something is about to go down.
Now, some of these visuals are very subtle, barely standing out, but still present. And I appreciate the restraint to not always light someone's eyes up till they're just intensely glowing. And then we got some gnarly action.
I don't think there are as many action sequences as the first movie, but we still get a few that are wonderfully tense. And one involves a sort of standoff. The intensity of the dialogue and the acting, I thought it was great.
And we can feel the urgent fear that the characters are experiencing. But one thing I could have done without is the use of slow-mo. There are a few scenes that almost come to a standstill. Yeah, it was cool to watch how someone's powers are operating and then affecting a target. But when a shot takes about 10 times longer than it would at full speed, that slow-mo feels excessive and utilized incorrectly. And for me, the most noticeable shortcoming is the lack of story connection that I felt.
It's not that I was bored per say, but I was having difficulty staying engaged with the storyline. The dynamics between Connor and Garrett, they were rinse and repeat a few times during the narrative. And that repetition, it got old and uninteresting. And the story quickly creates a simple chase scenario from early on in the movie.
The pursuit, it felt impotent, underutilizing the authority and influence of the baddies. And that then led to story conveniences that stretched the narrative unnaturally. Something that kneecaps the presentation is that a major reveal comes about pretty early on in the movie. Although I don't think the reveal is anything groundbreaking or something that you wouldn't have guessed. But because it comes relatively so soon in the story, there's no mystery to keep this intriguing. The narrative is solely dependent on action then to carry it.
And while what we get can be exciting, there's not a ton to support the rest of the runtime, especially when there aren't any future surprises. I mean, I'd love for there to have been another twist that came about later, making that first reveal a misdirection or a distraction so the story could save the biggie for the climax. But unfortunately,that's not what we get.
It just leads to a disappointing chain of events. The movie's about an hour and 40 minutes, but it does feel longer. Even though the story turned into a race of sorts, the momentum and the urgency were uneven, taking a lot of dips that caused slowness within the pacing.
Ultimately, I was disappointed with Code 8 Part 2. It removed most of what made the first installment exciting and instead turned the film into a simplistic and generic pursuit story. The acting is sufficient, presenting some charismatic characters, but the narrative lacks a lot of heart and character attachment that makes a story compelling.
I am going to the movie a rating of six out of ten. I enjoyed the special effects, which looked convincing and added visual excitement, but these alone couldn't resurrect the lackluster tale.