But this isnt your traditional punch in of time travel.
At first,Escapeis played for humor.
Quickly, though, things get a bit more serious.
This is a very boring still from a very fun movie, Escape from the 21st Century.Fantastic Fest
The trio, best friends at one time, no longer keep in touch in the future.
Because its set in a not-quite-our reality, everything aboutEscape From the 21st Centuryis heightened.
Everyone is an excellent martial artist.
People jump in slow motion.
Drugs have different effects.
The friends also have a fantastic dynamic.
At least in 1999, that is.
That dynamic shifts drastically in 2019 and, again, creates tensions and questions for everyone to answer.
Visually, writer-director Yang Li uses lots of high contrasts interspersed with bright colors to keep the film lively.
He even throws some animation into the live-action action to showcase the powers of the characters.
In many ways, its a tonal mess.
Things go from goofy and playful at one point, to intense and dark in another.
Escape from the 21st Centuryis a blast.
The film recently played at Fantastic Fest 2024.
It has U.S. distribution, but not a release date.
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