Good Luck, Don’t Die, Have Fun is such a bold and cheeky title that immediately grabs my attention. With Sam Rockwell as a man claiming to be from the future who holds the patrons of an LA diner hostage, I expected a wacky, bizarre sci-fi comedy, and that is what Gore Verbinski delivered.

Known for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Rango, and The Lone Ranger, this is Verbinski’s first feature in nearly a decade. Based on a script by Matthew Robinson, this dystopian sci-fi features an ensemble cast with the charming Rockwell at the helm. His Future Man character gathers people to support his mission and insists he’s gone through this cycle multiple times, reminiscent of Groundhog Day. Rockwell lets it rip in a droll, unhinged performance, clearly given free rein to improvise and have fun in the role. He looks unkempt and dressed like a bum in a tacky-looking get-up with a bomb strapped to his body.

Then the movie gets broken into several parts to give us a backstory to some of the recruits. The first segment features a couple, Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz, who are teachers facing a horde of zombie-like students. Next, it shifts to Juno Temple as a grieving mother, Susan, who gets a chance to ‘reunite’ with her deceased son. While this part feels a bit like a less-inspired Black Mirror episode, Temple stands out as one of the strongest performers, displaying a deep emotional depth. The final segment focuses on Haley Lu Richardson’s Ingrid, a professional party princess who’s allergic to technology and gets nosebleeds whenever she’s near anyone using their smartphones. I had the opportunity to interview Haley Lu back in 2014. I’m glad to see her career taking off as she’s such a talented actress. A few other recruits join the adventure, such as loud-mouthed Uber driver Scott (Asim Chaudhry) and Marie (Georgia Goodman), who just wants a good slice of pie.

The film has this wild, chaotic vibe, especially as the crew races towards a mysterious location that we don’t find out about until the third act. The action really picks up in the second half, featuring occasional bursts of violence and shootouts. Future Man’s whole goal is to prevent the AI from posing a threat to humanity, and it turns out that the AI is actually a 9-year-old kid perched on a mountain of wires. The scene where Future Man faces off against the AI kid is quite bizarre, and the robot army part feels like it was inspired by Toy Story 3. You’ll get what I’m talking about once you watch it.

Movies warning about AI featuring a man from the future aren’t exactly groundbreaking; just look at The Terminator and all its countless knockoffs. But this film feels particularly relevant right now, especially with those zombie-like high schoolers serving as a clear metaphor for how the younger generation is overly dependent on tech. Of course, older folks aren’t spared from the digital overload either, with everything from smartphones to virtual reality potentially taking over our lives.

The themes explored here, particularly the dehumanization caused by AI, seem to hit home for Verbinski and many other filmmakers in Hollywood. There are definitely some interesting concepts floating around, but even though it’s entertaining, Verbinski’s direction tends to get messy and over the top. Marketed as a dark comedy, it doesn’t always hit the mark humor-wise, with some jokes just falling flat. As if it wasn’t already bizarre enough, there’s a giant man-eating cat that shows up out of nowhere. I was really hoping that after a crazy 2 hours and 14 minutes, we’d reach a satisfying conclusion. What we get is a rather anticlimactic finale that lacks the punch to make this satire truly stand out.

Nonetheless, in a world filled with remakes, sequels, and films based on existing IP, it’s refreshing to come across an original movie that genuinely attempts to offer something fresh. The caution about ongoing distractions and allowing AI to take over our everyday lives is certainly something worth thinking about. So, in that spirit, put down your devices and give Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die a watch.

What are your thoughts about Good Luck, Don’t Die, Have Fun?