Extraordinary Measures

3 stars

Rating: PG
Stars: Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford and Keri Russell

What’s the story?
Successful business man John Crowley (Fraser) and his wife Aileen (Russell) are the parents to two children with Pompe, a rare genetic disorder. With the realization that few Pompe children live past the age of nine, Crowley becomes desperate for a cure following his daughter’s eighth birthday. Based on a true story, his search for a cure brings him to unconventional yet brilliant research scientist, Robert Stonehill (Ford). Torn between making the most of his children’s time left and finding them a cure, Crowley quits his job and joins Stonehill to start a bio-tech company. Racing against the clock, the two must develop the cure and save Crowley’s children, all before it’s too late.

Why see it?
The story itself is a touching one, bringing to light the importance of family and sacrifice. The film is packed with emotions through and through and the determination of the young children will be sure to tug at heartstrings. All the performances are believable and well done, with an excellent portrayal of John Crowley from Brendan Fraser and a stellar intensity from Harrison Ford. The supporting cast as established by the young children (Meredith Droeger, Diego Velazquez and Sam Hall), give the story doses of heart, keeping the film optimistic. Little bits of humour are distributed throughout the film and make watching it an overall enjoyable experience.

Problems?
Despite having an interesting story, the emotions and situations involved might fall flat with teenage viewers. The soundtrack is also repetitive and unoriginal (reminiscent of the Beauty and the Beast theme), seeming inappropriate for certain moments and taking away from the scene rather than adding to it. The story drags on at times and the character of Dr. Stonehill fails to build a strong connection with the audience. Being the first of CBS’s feature films, it does often resemble a made for TV movie, which, although entertaining, does not carry the pace and quality necessary to hold the audience’s attention through the full duration of the movie.

All in all:
This film, although lackluster, will leave you touched, inspired and entertained.