No. Although it may have its high points, The Social Network does not live up to expectations. The Social Network is a flimsy, poorly-paced film filled with non-convincing special effects and one inaccuracy after another. It also features one of the latest movies you’ll ever see in mainstream cinema and doesn’t stand out amongst its peers.
No one can deny the charisma of stars Chiwetel Moore and Michael Caine, but neither of them comes across as being particularly entertaining here. There’s Chiwetel Moore’s over-the-top sense of humor, but the film’s one big misfire is that its romantic side story goes almost entirely unappreciated by the audience (and me). Instead, Almodovar and co-star Antonio Banderas’ obsession with nightclubs is treated almost like a theme park attraction.
It’s a shame that Pedro is never given more than a brief mention in the trailer for The Social Network. It seems that the film was hurried into production in order to coincide with the release of the car’s movie. By the end of the film, even the most devoted of motorsport fans have become fed up with watching Pedro and his bumbling friends go round the track in an over-lit corner of Spain’s Costa del Sol. The film’s one great scene captures the magic of Pedro as a performer, but director Adam Wingard misses the boat in other areas. Most of the humor derived from Pedro comes from its characters. They’re a haphazard bunch, but they make some sort of impact on the viewer.
This quirky little film follows the social network friends of two friends as they travel around central London in search of people they know in common. Once they find some common interests, such as a DJ who plays weirdly cool house music or a chubby couple in front of the tube, it’s only a matter of time before they hook up. That, however, is just the point of the plot. Eventually, things take a turn for the worst and their evening takes an unpleasant turn for the worst when they are kidnapped by terrorists.
The Social Network follows the lives of three of the main characters, initially Pedro (Efren Ramirez) and his friend Juan (Dania Codina). They soon learn that they have some sort of computer virus that has infected their systems, giving them apparently human-like powers. This virus has different parts that activate, spreading the viruses into the minds of the people around them. The first scenes of the film are terrible, featuring bad language, sex scenes, and very loud explosions. Luckily this all improves near the end. The Social Network also stars Jacob Lofland, Aidan Gillen, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.
In this film, the lead characters all use their powers for evil. It is up to the parents to intercede, and they do. Things get extremely serious near the end, with the death of one of the lead characters. However, the social network system is also responsible for the events that follow, and the movie ends with the government trying to bring it to an end.
No one is safe from the evil clutches of the social network and not just your child. The film shows just how easy it is to get everyone under the influence of someone else’s mind. A good example of this is the way computer hacking is carried out, with someone just simply being placed on the computers at specific times to hack into others’ systems and spread the viruses.
This film is very cleverly written, with an interesting plot, and excellent acting. The social network aspect is excellent, with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing. The film’s villain is also very convincing and probably will become one of your favorites. Overall, this is a must-watch, and I’m sure it will make you want to see the next one in the series.
