CODE 8, PART II

Canada, 2024, 100 minutes, Colour.

Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Alex Mallari, Sirena Gulamgaus, Aaron Abrams, Jean Yoon.

Directed by Jeff Chan.

Code 8 was a popular futuristic film from 2019, Canadian production, settings, science fiction and issues of artificial intelligence.

The future was imagined where some humans, like the X-Men, have extraordinary powers. But, society then repress them, feared them, substituted machines, police like Robocops, aerial drone surveillance. At the heart of the film was Connor, Robbie Amell, with powers, caught up in robberies to support his ailing mother.

The film was made with crowd-funding and, after five years, enough was collected to make this sequel. Unfortunately, a lot of fans of the early film were highly dismissive in their blogs about this film. Which seems quite unfair, the sequel being fairly much parallel to the original.

The gangs are still there, this time there is a group of corrupt police, there is the AI development of Robodogs, allegedly not hurting people but having that power, and also photographing and recording encounters. Connor is now out of five years prison, working as a janitor, encountering a young girl with power whose brother has been killed by one of the Robodogs, his taking up her cause, protecting her, with invitations for collaboration from his enemy from the first film, Garrett (Stephen Amell).

In many ways, what happens is predictable, but that is the nature of this kind of sci-fi thriller with crime elements.

Several of the original characters appear again in this film and has the same director, Jeff Chan.

1. The popularity of the original film? Crowd-financed? Five years to produce a sequel? Continuity, return of characters, stand-alone story?
2. The introduction, the explanation of the situation, futuristic, echoes of X-Men, humans with powers? Their being suppressed, drugs taken from them, living in poverty, menial work? The developments of police work and surveillance, echoes of Robocop?
3. Lincoln City, the vistas of the city, centre, buildings, outskirts, factories? Police precincts? The musical score?
4. Continuity, Connell emerging from prison, Garrett meeting him, the clash? Connor and his work, maintenance, janitor? Prospects?
5. The introduction of Kingston? The police force, the press conference, the holiday atmosphere, the Robodog, officer Stillman, the demonstration? Acclaim? The Robodogs for surveillance, not for attack?
6. Tarak and his sister, Pav? At home, her powers, his earning the money, the playfulness of the flashbacks in Pav’s memory? His being a courier for Psyke, the rendezvous, the money, his taking the money, under surveillance, the pursuit of the Robodog, the menace, the attack, the injection, his death? All filmed in the camera in the dog? Kingston and his associates having the dog, the film?
7. Kingston and his associates, on the take? The deal with Garrett? Garrett and his set up, the providing of Psyke, the clients? The headquarters?
8. Pav seen on the camera in the dog, the attempts to track her down?, Finding her, her unwillingness, taking her to the centre, meeting Mina? The pursuit, the escape, the police tracking her down, the siege, the drones, the Robocops, the shooting?
9. The decision that Pav’s memories should be eliminated, Connor supporting this, giving themselves up, going to the woman, her daughter, the attempt at eliminating the memories?, Connor intervening, there leaving?
10. Garrett intervening and his being shot? Mina giving herself, her death allowing the others to escape?
11. Going to the orphanage, Pav getting the bullet out of Garrett? Connor, wary, denouncing Garrett? Kingston and his surveillance, pursuit?
12. Garrett’s plan, to get Kingston’s Robodog and the camera? Going to Kingston’s house, meeting his wife, pretended to be union representatives, the wife listening, not knowing the truth, the smooth talk, Connor and Pav leaving, getting the dog, the attack, separating the head?
13. The surveillance team, trying to contact Kingston, the confrontation with Garrett, the powers in the night? Garrett shot? Connor and Pav trying to escape, in the corridor, the attack dog, the officer and his being attacked, the fight between the two robots?
14. The arrival of the press, the journalist who had interviewed Kingston at the demonstration of the Robodog? Pav, wounded, Connor carrying her out, the connection to the camera from the journalist, the expose, Kingston’s wife’s seeing this?
15. Kingston, his desperation, the attempt to kill Pav, Garrett and his using his powers to thwart Kingston?
16. The climax, the arrests, the aftermath?
17. Three months later, Connor and the revived centre, have, the children, in memory of Mina?