Title: “Chaos Walking”

Release date: In theaters (wide release) March 5, 2021

Directed by: Doug Liman

Written by: Patrick Ness and Christopher Ford, based on the 2008 bestseller “The Knife of Never Letting Go,” part of the “Chaos Walking” sci-fi trilogy by Ness

Starring: Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, Mads Mikkelsen, Demian Bichir, Cynthia Erivo, Nick Jonas, Ray McKinnon, Kurt Sutter, David Oyelowo, Oscar Jaenada, Olunike Adeliyi

Run time: 1 hour, 49 minutes

Genres: Sci-fi/Western/adventure

Rated: PG-13

Where I saw it: At the local AMC Classic theater on a Sunday afternoon, $4.99, eight other people in the theater

What it’s about: Set about 230 years in the future on a newly colonized planet, a young man (Holland as Tom Hewitt) living in a place where there are no women and the men can see and hear each other’s thoughts (called “The Noise”) discovers a young woman (Ridley as Viola) who has crash-landed on the planet and must keep her away from the town leader (Mikkelsen as Mayor Prentiss) and his posse so she can contact her home ship.

What I liked about it: “Chaos Walking” is based on an interesting concept, one full of potential. And it seems to be trying to say something important about misogyny and masculinity, even xenophobia and bigotry. … Holland is proving to be more than a one-dimensional Marvel superhero, and he’s decent here in the lead role, as is Ridley as a confused but resilient woman among men.

What I didn’t like about it: This is one of those movies whose backstory would indicate potential for a spectacular train wreck, and in this case, that backstory was all sorts of red flags. Ten years in the works, “Chaos Walking” started life as a Charlie Kaufman script. Then it was worked over by several script doctors; Liman was brought on board five years ago; filming began in 2017 (that might explain why Holland, 24, looks noticeably younger than he did in last year’s “The Devil All the Time”); and the movie was slated for a 2019 release date before testing poorly and being sent back for reshoots. Whatever adjustments were made did not help. “Chaos Walking” is a mess and, worse for a sci-fi adventure flick, uninteresting for lengthy stretches. Even worse than that, it mostly wastes considerable talent among its cast, most notably Mikkelsen, and a filmmaker would have to work hard to make Mikkelsen so lifeless. He’s neither charismatic nor villainous; he was far, far more sinister when he was using a whip on James Bond’s undercarriage as Le Chiffre in “Casino Royale.” The most interesting aspect of his Mayor character isn’t that he has learned to control The Noise (thus putting him in power) or that he has learned to manipulate others into revealing even the thoughts they are trying to hide, but that he is never not wearing a full-length fur coat. … The film presents symbolic commentary on misogyny and masculinity but never does much with it. Characters are ridiculed for being “weak like a woman,” and Tom frequently reminds himself (in his Noise, which shows up as colored clouds and holographic imagery) that he needs to hold in his feelings so that he can “be a man.” But the film stumbles toward an awkward ending (that seems to last forever) in which, as could be predicted, the bad guys get their comeuppance at the hands of the young woman. … The story’s only real twist can be seen coming a mile away. … The Noise is disorienting (and maddening) not just to the characters, but to the audience, distracting from whatever messages and entertainment value the film hoped to deliver.

Who it should appeal to: Probably not a lot of moviegoers beyond the curious.

My score: 24 out of 100.