Restore Point

The very first shot with Zimmer-esque music is stunning, taking into account that this is a Czech film. The monumental exterior sets with great design, including the cars, holograms and digital images, are world-class in Restore Point. With respect to the plot, it wouldn’t matter that it is merely a crime movie in a sci-fi setting. So was Minority Report. The film’s handicap lies in the attempt to keep the viewer in constant suspense by incessantly and often needlessly conveying the plot through dialogue, dialogue and more dialogue. Without being drawn into the story in an original and more impactful way, I was unwilling (and, at a night-time festival screening after a full day, unable) to take it all in. Next time, the filmmakers should come up with a more original subject, cut down on the chatter and balance the slower passages with getting to know the characters, and the result will be great. Like a movie franchise with the same female detective. She is well cast, easy on the eyes and her character is well suited to further development. [Karlovy Vary International Film Festival] (06/07/2023)

A traditional Czech crime drama set in a nice sci-fi world with a touch of Blade Runner, but with few visual attractions. The actors didn't impress me (although the female lead is likeable), the plot didn't entertain me at all, the film absolutely failed to draw me into the plot and it was quite difficult to keep my attention. I was rooting for it because it’s something a little different, but when it's boring as hell, it's a wasted effort. It will find fans, it missed me. 4/10. (26/01/2024)

I told myself I wouldn't give Restore Point a thumbs up just because it's a Czech film, and so I'm giving it an average rating, but I also encourage everyone to go to the cinema and support a commendably different domestic film that we don't have to be ashamed of. The main problem with Restore Point, in my opinion, is the story, which piles one tired cliché on top of another, is either overwrought or, on the contrary, raises unnecessary questions... And it lasts almost two hours, which is really too much. Although I wouldn't go see it again, I certainly don't regret the money I spent on the ticket and I look forward to seeing what Robert Hloz makes next. (23/09/2023)

This was good. Czech film sci-fi no longer has to feel like cheap TV entertainment or co-productions with friendly socialist countries (today's co-productions are freer, not an ideological choice). Recovery Point is undoubtedly an exceptional project, a solid detective story from the year 2041. The near future is built around the possibility of backing up humanity, which is a game changer. The lead male roles are played by classic faces of Karel Dobrý, Matěj Hádek, and Václav Neužil ml., while the actresses are new: Andrea Mohylová and Agáta Kryštůfková, and it will probably be a joy to watch what they do next. (20/09/2023)

In terms of production design, special effects and the depiction of the atmosphere and functioning of its world, Restore Point is definitely one of the most remarkable achievements in the field of Czech cinema in recent years. It's a shame, however, that all this is undermined by a rather generic plot and a half-baked screenplay, which, when you strip away the visual trappings, offers nothing more than a banal TV-style crime drama, plus variations on motifs you've seen in other, often better films (Minority Report comes to mind). I appreciate the effort, but it could have been much more polished. [KVIFF 2023] (08/07/2023)