
The year is 2001 and the criminals have taken over Centinel City. The Police have lost control. The citizens are terrified... and no one can stop the madness. Even the Techno Police, a special anti-crime squad, find the situation hopeless until a wise cracking cop with an uncanny knack for out-guessing the criminals joins the force. When a powerful experiment tank is hijacked, the Techno Police and their newest recruit go to work. Equipped with an ultra-sonic car and crime-fighting Technoids, the rookie cop sets out on a death defying high-speed chase through the streets... trying to capture the crooks and trying to stay alive. But no one is aware of the awesome powers about to be unleashed.
In Stowaway, director Joe Penna narrates the story of a starship crew (Anna Kendrick as Zoe Levenson; Toni Collette as Marina Barnett; and Daniel Dae Kim as David Kim) struggling with serious technical problems on a two-year mission to Mars. During the trip, they discover aboard the presence of Michael (Shamier Anderson), a stowaway who jeopardizes everyone’s life on board.
In the film adaptation, director Jon M. Chu turns each musical number into a massive show stopper, with grand set pieces and a wealth of diverse dancers. Yet, in this attempt to show reverence for the people of the Washington Heights barrio, Chu, or maybe more specifically those in charge of casting, left out a crucial part of the community, Afro-Latinos.
The biggest highlight of the film is easily the performance of Andrew Garfield. In his days since hanging up his Spiderman suit, Garfield has routinely churned out great performances, and Mainstream is no exception. He proves that he is willing to try anything and go anywhere in a character.
This captivating film can only be truly appreciated by seeing it firsthand. There are not enough words to describe the terrible beauty one experiences while watching it.
This fantasy musical movie is an origin story about the title character.