On February 28, the sci-fi action thriller “Code 8: Part II,” starring cousins Robbie and Stephen Amell, was released on Netflix. This is a sequel to the Canadian film Code 8, which was released in 2019. In the review below we tell you why this modest pseudo-superhero feels quite confident, especially against the backdrop of the decline of the superhero genre as such.
Pros:
realistic, down-to-earth sci-fi that deliberately eschews standard superhero fare; interesting interactions between the characters of the Amell cousins; some really intense thriller scenes; the dynamics of the narrative does not allow you to get bored
Minuses:
the film does not look too ambitious, so a priori it does not pretend to be anything more than a one-time viewing; the largest action scene was not shot in the best way; the local story will definitely not surprise you; convention of some points
“Code 8: Part II” / Code 8: Part II
Genre sci-fi thriller, action
Director Jeff Chan
Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Alex Mallari Jr., Aaron Abrams, Altair Vincent
Netflix premiere
Year of manufacture 2024
IMDb website
In order for the first “Code 8” to take place, its authors Jeff Chan, Chris Paré, Robbie and Stephen Amell released a short film of the same name in 2016, and then launched a fundraiser on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Counting on an amount of 200 thousand dollars, the guys were probably very happy when they managed to collect 2.4 million in a month.
After the theatrical release, the ubiquitous Netflix acquired the rights to show the film, and this purchase came in handy more than ever during a pandemic. Although the need for crowdfunding has already disappeared for the production of the sequel, the creators of the second part are guided by the same modest approach both in terms of the scale of the story and the use of film resources. Five years have passed since the events of the first film. Connor Reed is released from prison and takes a job as a janitor at the Lincoln City Community Center. The hero no longer wants to have anything to do with Garrett, who during this time managed to build his own illegal business and establish mutually beneficial relationships with the local dirty police and Sergeant Kingston in particular.
The lives of all the aforementioned individuals are turned upside down when Connor accidentally meets a teenage girl, Pavani, who witnessed police brutality that resulted in the death of her brother. To protect the small one from corrupt law enforcement officers, Reed turns to Garrett for help, but their new collaboration again leads to unpredictable consequences. “Four percent of the population have superpowers. The majority live below the poverty line under strict police control,” the opening title greets the viewer, reminding that the situation for people with superpowers has not improved in any way since the first part.
The local alternative setting still contains obvious dystopian overtones, enhanced by modern technology. Police drones buzz ominously over the city, from which robots continue to rain down and land in authentic superhero fashion. But that’s not all, because now K-9 robot dogs are also on duty: with these you definitely can’t make a cute buddy movie about the friendship of a brave cop and his dog partner.
The strength of both Code 8 films lies in their overall simplicity. No blockbuster with these multiverses, no superhero fluff with a set of colorful costumes. Local characters are not burdened by ambitions to save the planet and are guided by surprisingly clear motives, and their interactions are interesting to watch.
In contrast to the same Marvel big-budget shenanigans, where the motivation of actions, especially among villains, is often a complete disaster, the low-key “Code 8” is much more down-to-earth, and therefore more realistic and closer to each of us. This is a kind of “X-Men” at minimum wages, but the point is that such a verdict here looks like a compliment.
If in the first part the main character tried to save his sick mother (a very simple and primitive technique, but absolutely understandable and effective), now he does not have any benefit from the fact that he took on the task of saving an unfamiliar child. But the character’s nobility cannot be doubted, because he demonstrated this virtue of his in the original 5 years ago, when he freed a girl healer, despite difficult circumstances. The central storyline of “Connor Reed-Pavani” clearly refers, since we remember the X-Men, to James Mangold’s “Logan”, where there was a successful attempt to look a step more serious and dramatic than your “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” . What is important, for all its seriousness, “Code 8” is absolutely devoid of the prohibitive pathos that Zack Snyder generously poured into the DC universe in the early stages of its development (although here the authors do not deny themselves the pleasure of giving a few short slow-mos).
In a word, Jeff Chan’s budget fiction seems to boast of taking the maximum from the minimum of resources, ignoring the general trends of superhero cinema and its pathos. And such holy simplicity clearly suits her.
Apart from any comparisons, “Part II” looks far from outstanding, but an honest, moderately entertaining and, appropriately, down-to-earth sci-fi action thriller, with its own small victories and defeats, which also could not be avoided.
For example, when you are told that only 4% of the population has the so-called gift, but in fact, no matter where you spit, you will end up with a carrier of superpowers, this is alarming. And when the story gets to its biggest action sequence, where the epileptic camera and the fine-tuned editing of late Paul Anderson render its presence completely useless, it’s frustrating.
Overall, Jeff Chan and the creative team made a normal, noteworthy movie for which they should not be ashamed. It definitely doesn’t know how to surprise, and it’s unlikely to remain in the memory for a long time, but it copes with the function of leisure for a weekend evening and a warning to corrupt officials in the bargain. Considering the first film, no one promised anything more here initially.
Conclusion:
“Code 8: Part II” is far from the most outstanding film in its genre, but at least it does not look like the result of a script from a neural network, like many other Netflix projects. The enthusiasm of the filmmakers is noticeable here, who honestly tried to create the highest quality cinema as they knew how and could.
