Archive (2 Stars)

This is an English science fiction film made in 2020. It was originally planned for cinema release, but it was released straight-to-video because of the Coronavirus lockdowns.

The film takes place in 2038. Archive is the name of a technology that extends a person's consciousness after death. The body of a dead person is preserved in cold storage and connected to a computer system that allows people to communicate with him via video calls. Depending on the rate of decay, this is possible for between a few days and a few months. As soon as the communication stops, the body has to be buried.

Theo James is an expert in artificial intelligence. He's given a job to build a life-like robot with full artificial intelligence. He has to work alone in a large laboratory in Japan. Shortly before he begins the job his wife is killed in a car accident. He takes her body with him and keeps in contact with her using Archive.

Instead of creating a completely artificial intelligence, Theo hacks into the Archive system and finds a way to copy his dead wife's brainwaves. He uses her brain pattern as the template for his robots. He hides this from his employer, because it's illegal.

The first robot, which he calls J-1, is only a partial success. It has the mental development of a five-year-old. His second attempt, J-2, has his wife's personality, despite being somewhat immature. Theo estimates that she has the mental development of a 15-year-old. This prompts him to build a third robot, J-3, with a humanoid form. She'll be a full replacement for his wife.

Well, almost a full replacement. She still needs some makeup and a good wig.

Theo is working against the clock. He has to finish J-3 before his wife's body decays and her consciousness is no longer available in Archive. Added to his problems, J-2 is in love with him and wants to prevent J-3 replacing her.

There are also problems with his employer suspecting his deception.

This is a very intelligent science fiction film. Unfortunately, I don't like it. The trouble is that the film has too many ideas. Too many things are happening. There are too many new technologies vying for the viewer's credibility. A film doesn't have to be complicated to be good.

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