Oh jeez.
There are good ideas here - not super original, perhaps, and unremarkable, but that's no inherent mark against a feature. John Lyde's is hardly a household name, but I've seen a fair number of his films at this point, and he's a capable director. This is seemingly Larissa Beck's first credit as a screenwriter, but I see that she was involved with 'Mythica: Godslayer,' which I highly enjoyed, as well as 'The Christmas dragon' and 'SAGA: Curse of the shadow,' both of which I thought were pretty decent, too. And I've seen star Danielle C. Ryan in a few movies at this point, and think she's a fairly good actress; I also recognize some other actors to appear here. '626 evolution' had a lot going for it. Unfortunately, all the constituent parts just don't pan out: this isn't very good.
Superpowers are always a fair starting point for a plot. Proliferate use of a first-person perspective is an interesting choice - novel, and schlocky, as stilted 2015 yawnfest 'Hardcore Henry' proved - but can be alright if done well. Designing every shot from a third-person perspective to have the appearance of cameras - security, cell phone, satellite, traffic, "smart home" - likewise has potential, but if the cards aren't played right then the affect may easily have the same issue as first-person camerawork. To these add one final prominent element in the narration of a teenager - or rather, running commentary on the fly, from start to finish, that at times breaks the fourth wall. Nothing about this movie is an intrinsically poor decision, but each individual element is of the sort that requires utmost finesse, dexterity, and delicate handling to pull off, at risk of marring the viewing experience. Put them all together, and the best that could be said is that the resulting movie needs to be flawless, or else it would be rotten.
'626 evolution,' I'm sad to say, is not flawless.
The "narration" of 449 (Ruby Jones) would be fine if employed sparingly, to highlight meaningful inner reflection. Instead it's intended as a comedic aspect, except her quips and one-liners are rarely clever - rather, they come off as the loquacious inane babbling of an anxious teen who constantly mouths off in the hope that it will earn her popularity. 449's commentary even overrides the dialogue of other characters. The camerawork likewise could have carried some weight if it was used more judiciously to spotlight specific moments, but that the entirety of the movie is filmed with these notions front and center means severely detracts from the viewing experience.
These are the worst problems with '626 evolution,' but they're not the only ones. The sound design is also deeply troubled; James Schafer's score and 449's commentary are prioritized in the mix, while all actual dialogue and sound effects are deemphasized. Very critically, that means that the communication of plot is hampered - and plot development is so slipshod in the first place that I honestly am not fully certain of what the complete course of events even is. By the same token - these characters are clearly quite complicated, but who or what are they, exactly? I couldn't say. Meanwhile, editing and sequencing are overzealous and decidedly unpolished, further dampening the experience.
Stunts and fight choreography are fair. Computer-generated visuals and special effects are fine, if distinctly second-tier. Costume design, hair and makeup, filming locations - great. I think the performances are A-OK. This could have been a good movie. But with all the choices that were made for the production, it never really had much of a chance to begin with. Why, after a suitable climax, the very last scene is so pointedly ham-handed that we can't even be left with a good taste in our mouths. I didn't have especially high expectations as I began watching, but I hoped for '626 evolution' to prove me wrong. I'm disappointed to see just how flailing an effort it was in too many ways, with every worst impulse thoughtlessly indulged. I know the folks behind this can do better. Please - do better.
