MOVIE REVIEW - Extraordinary Measures

Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford star in the new drama Extraordinary Measures, based on a true story. It is the major release at the box office this week.

Fraser stars as a father of three children, two of which are stricken with a horrible genetic disease called Pompe (pr. pom -pay.) It is a disease that doesn't allow the muscles to develop properly and the life expectancy is about 9 years. Trying everything to save his kids, he travels to the University of Nebraska to meet a research Dr. there (Ford). There he finds Dr. Stonehill whose research is light years ahead of the rest of the world on this disease, but his methods are strange. The Dr. also has a serious people problem as he is volatile and unpredictable. They decide to branch off and start a small research company with the good Dr's unbelievable research on this horrible disease. The clock is running, and time is running out. Can they find a treatment in time.

With all due respect to the actual story, EM has it's problems as a movie. I think it's a cool story maybe worth telling, I'm not sure a feature length dramatic movie is the forum. I think this would be a fantastic documentary on TV. I certainly could find this a great feature in a magazine, or paper. But as it is told here, it comes up a bit hollow and short.

EM is very draggy at times, as it never really seems to get a flow going. This is tough subject matter to start with and couple that with the fact that the script is shallow, and one dimensional and it's hard to keep interest. This movie also makes a cardinal mistake. For a movie with Harrison Ford, there is not nearly enough - Harrison Ford in it.

Ford is one of those stars that I feel is mandatory viewing. It's a shame the movie makers seemingly don't feel the same. His character is certainly interesting enough as an ego-maniac eccentric lone wolf Dr. who simply has only his work in his life. But in EM, it seems that all the good Dr. can do is yell and throw tantrums and be hard to work with. Bad script.

Fraser branching out into a more dramatic role here is terribly miscast. No matter what you see him in, he still has the face of the goofy movie characters he's played over the years and The Mummy series. To be honest, as the father of two terminally ill children and corporate executive, it just doesn't work. They also ask him to carry the day here, and he's not up to it. Too much Fraser, not enough Ford. It hurts this picture plain and simple.

Extraordinary Measures. As a story, potentially compelling and interesting. As a two hour dramatic movie? Not good.