why this film does not work
Because ( in my opinion, some people get hysterical if you don't say that) lets forget how underwhelming the two leads are, or the nauseating level of hipsterness, which could be forgiven cause it is a cool looking movie and it was a different idea, but it was to far removed from any reality or any sort of consequence. in movies, no matter how fantastic the setting there still has to be some kind of rule. Some kind of logic, some way that can ground it in reality. Like look at Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a fantasy film with a lot of crazy cartoon elements but early on they establish that cartoon characters can be killed. They can survive anvils landing on them but that dip stuff Christopher Lloyd had, that could kill them. So we know despite all the crazy elements Roger or Jessica can still be killed, that gives the movie stakes. Which this movie totally lacks, despite all the crazy *beep* Scott goes through he never really gets hurt. Cause of this the fights look good but there not very compelling. plus a lot of other things, Scott replaying the final fight, the computer chip she has in her head, which may or may not be real, I'm not sure. just to much stuff like that, that takes you out of the movie.
i told you not to stop the boat. Now lets go. Apocaylpse Now