you find yourself wishing that he’d never been
introduced at all, which is not exactly the best
thing when he’s one of only three characters.
“Finch’s” scope and scale also were clearly
designed for the big screen and an attentive
audience, which might prove difficult on a living
room television (the same felt true of Apple
TV+’s other Tom Hanks epic, “Greyhound,” which
was still a superior movie.) Although many of
the visuals are quite familiar for anyone who has
seen a post-apocalyptic movie in the past 20
years, they are striking and detailed nonetheless,
and no doubt underserved by even the best
small screen. The music cues, meanwhile,
could not be more obvious (ahem, “Road
to Nowhere”).
And it’s no one’s fault that a film with cautionary
messages about delaying travel and living life
while you can may be a little hard to swallow
for an audience approaching year two of life
in a pandemic.
But you’re probably not coming to “Finch” for
lessons, you’re coming to “Finch” for Hanks. The
good news is that he’s not just the reason to
show up, he’s the reason to stay around as well.
“Finch,” an Apple TV+ release, is rated PG-13
by the Motion Picture Association of America
for “brief violent images.” Running time: 115
minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material
may be inappropriate for children under 13.