Hypnotic

 As a teen i idolized Robert Rodriguez. Rebel Without a Crew was a bible and his Film School segments on DVDs were a haven. His aesthetic was hyper violence hidden behind childlike glee. He could be over the top & gritty at the same time but always packed a visual punch.  Some say Alita felt like a director for hire film but it had his stamp all over it. Hypnotic does not, and he wrote this in the early 00s. and it feels like an early 00s film, an early Ben Affleck 00s film such as Paycheck, only that was dumb fun and of its time, this just feels like a straight to video film that thinks it is smarter than it is. Visually dull, convoluted and the wooden acting makes you want to sleep. I admire it for having multiple layers but i felt checked out before it even began.