Tonnes of potential but need a better explanation of this Universe.

I decided to give this film a shot again after watching it last year. I didn't mind it on first viewing but I didn't love it either so I was curious to see what time would do.

I must admit I enjoyed it a bit better than the first time and I want to really love it but the problem is that the plot has the same problems it always had, the main one being that it's just too convoluted to really get a grip on.

I get what they were going for. There are shades of Dune in there, Star Wars style space opera stories and even a few 90s PC game Space Empire feels in there too. It all falls flat on it's arse though because practically *beep* all of it is explained.

These vast, ancient Empires and Dynasties need some hefty backstory to them but there is practically no world building going on here apart from just glimpses from conversations. In fact the best bit of the film is when Sean Bean is describing the history of the Earth and it's at that point I could actually get a grip on what was happening and so I started to really enjoy it but it wasn't nearly enough.

The film continues on about harvesting, profits, genetics and other stuff which again goes by and large unexampled. Are they a business or a family or an army or what?

It's really frustrating becasue the production design is amazing and every 5 minutes there's something new appearing on the screen which makes you think "That's cool!" but there's no real apparent reason for any of it.

I thought Mila Kunis was good and Sean bean was excellent. Tatum just looked like cyber goth eye candy to me and I'd have preferred it of it was only Kunis and Bean teaming up for the whole film and just chuck the love story out the window.

I think it has great potential and I'd like to see a sequel but only of these issues are addressed as it's bad enough not knowing what the hell is going on in the first film but if a second one tried to expand on those shaky foundations then it's going to crumble as audiences flip their tables and say *beep* this!".

I'm still curious so maybe if they make book or a website to lay out the history to this Universe then I'd be down with it but as it is it's just a big dumb shiny mess, albeit and enjoyable one.