While it's worth digging into greater detail, I'll spare you the patter off the bat: This is kind of brilliant. It also suffers from extreme tonal issues, in my opinion beyond the scope of the shifts that are already part and parcel of the story, and of the way in which the story is written. Solid as the sum total is, those tonal issues are enough to sadly diminish my favor.
Everything else about the title is truly terrific, and 'Relax, I'm from the future' definitely deserves viewership and recognition. Given Rhys Darby's rise to fame in the past couple years it only makes sense that we'd start to see more of him, whether that's in major studio releases or smaller indie flicks. He's a joy as Casper, the enthusiastic and animated time traveler, and Gabrielle Graham is excellent as Holly, the cynical, jaded modern woman. Employed sparingly and in meaningful ways, the computer-generated imagery and effects are excellent and arguably look better than in some bigger films where the use is more proliferate; the practical effects and stunts, and props, are splendid. The punk songs that populate the soundtrack are a blast, and I'm keen on the original music of Bryan Bindon and Deanna H. Choi. From art direction, costume design, hair, and makeup, to cinematography, editing, and sound design, the feature benefits from the sharp contributions of all those behind the scenes. And Luke Higginson shows fine capability as a director: carefully orchestrating shots and scenes in a manner that lets them pop out vividly, and in each moment capitalizing on and amplifying the mood for the intended impact.
The writing is marvelously smart, in every capacity, and it doesn't take long before we see the wit starting to come forth in Higginson's screenplay. As we've seen in no few other titles over the years there's a lot of potential in the concept of time travel, employed to whatever ends, and as the filmmaker's vision gels in the second and third acts we see a shrewd, somewhat backhanded moral rise to the surface. This movie that presents as a silly comedy bears a critical message and lesson for the real-life present day, with all too relevant, dire themes of fighting to make a difference, of striving to be a person that matters, and not least among still more, of not giving in to the temptation of complacency, or to the harrowed hopelessness of despondent feelings of helplessness. Alongside a measure of welcome diversity and otherwise expression of progressive values, these ideas could hardly resonate more in 2023. Especially with such notions firmly in mind, Holly is very relatable and sympathetic, and Casper, too, in his own way; as the tale advances in bits and pieces, teasing out more plot in discrete, calculated kernels, we see that there's more to these chief characters than first meets the eye, and even for supporting figure Percy.
Yet that's the thing: Higginson directs well in a fashion that ably profits from and bolsters every mood, but the moods swing radically. 'Relax, I'm from the future' presents as a comedy, at first, with the abject silliness of watching Darby let loose as enthusiastic Casper opposite the more wry mannerisms of Holly. As we enter the second act we're introduced to a distinct antagonistic figure; the plot opens up to suggest all is not as it seems, and there may be much grimmer thoughts at play. From there and into the third act those intimations of dour background information are majorly confirmed, definitively casting characters in new or more glaring lights, all while the picture tosses in additional scattered tidbits of humor and ultimately aims to inspire. The atmosphere goes from fanciful and mirthful, to harsh, to insidious, to depressing, and while it may end on a high note and be swell overall, each step along the way is decidedly jarring. Imagine if 'Air Bud' suddenly swerved into the more sinister vibes of '101 Dalmatians,' albeit infused with the even darker tenor of 1994 German film 'Felidae,' and ended the same way that 'Old Yeller' does - all with a public-service announcement at the conclusion about the importance of vaccinations for companion animals and protecting our furry friends. That's kind of what this is like.
I actually do like this. At large it's quite well done, and it's plainly admirable in what it seeks to say and do. This is crafted with skill, care, and intelligence, with momentous themes in the writing, a compelling story, excellent acting, and superb work all around. The one issue the title struggles with, however, is enough to dampen my enthusiasm as the viewing experience is rocked by variations in tone that are too significant to come together in the ideal form. Maybe the humor needed to be reduced; maybe the violence, or suggestions thereof, needed to be reined in; I'm not sure what the answer is, except that the disparities between moods are too great for their own good. Higginson is to be commended for all that 'Relax, I'm from the future' is, and for the substantive takeaways we're left with; I look forward to seeing what the filmmaker does in the future. I just wish that this one movie, good and laudable as it is, were a tad more careful in the dispensation of all its beats and ideas, for that's the one sticking point for me. I'm pleased to give this my recommendation - just be aware that in its extant form, the flick is imperfect in one particular way.
