Vice (2015)

Directed by Brian A. Miller. Starring Ambyr Childers, Thomas Jane, Bryan Greenberg, Bruce Willis, Brett Granstaff, Johnathon Schaech, Charlotte Kirk, Colin Egglesfield. [R]

An unimaginative sci-fi thriller that owes a thing or two hundred to other sources (Westworld and Blade Runner spring to mind). Sometime in the future, Willis runs an adult resort called Vice where clients can live out their fantasies among a population of oblivious human-like androids. One of those artificial lifeforms (Childers) starts getting flashes of her past and discovers what she is, then goes on the run while Willis’ goons try to permanently silence her (you see where this is going). A blandly efficient but nondescript effort from the filmmakers yields bargain-bin results that even less-discriminating genre enthusiasts are unlikely to tolerate. As a grungy cop trying to topple Vice, Jane attempts some halfhearted weird energy with his peculiar mannerisms, but it’s disposable labor in the long run; Willis looks completely bored, which is par for the course when it comes to his appearances in direct-to-DVD fodder like this one.

20/100