Verdict:
I know where it all went wrong with this B movie. The cover. Prototype’s tape cover shows a (fake-looking) robot standing against the background of a virtual reality grid. Instead, it should have shown a couple of lovers with expressions of suffering on their faces and some kind of dramatic quote. The movie should not have been called “Prototype” but rather something like “Desert Roses”. It would have attracted a different kind of audience and would have perhaps been much better received.
Even if you claim to have no expectations going into a movie, you are always going to be subconsciously expecting to see indicators for a specific genre. The cover and the setting indicate sci-fi action, but the movie is primarily a melodrama with some sci-fi thrown in.
The story is about a problematic couple getting caught up in a vague futuristic conspiracy. The setting is an 80s post-apocalyptic world, which is another way of saying that there is a lot of sand and the color palette contains a lot of yellow.
There are multiple aspects of the story that could have been much better developed. It is not that the movie does not have enough material (as some have suggested), but rather that the makers did not do enough with the material at hand. There is a movie about a guy who gets his hand stuck in a rock, and it manages to keep its audience interested. Prototype’s story is simply poorly executed. The action scenes with the cyborg are laughable, as the effects do not line up and the movement is awkward. Everything in between the action scenes doesn’t have enough emotional talent, the camera work is not the best and the movie is in desperate need of better dialogue.
In part due to the creative choices made and in part due to poor direction, the movie feels very slow. The action feels as if it is in slow motion, even though it’s not. The soundtrack only adds to the tardiness, because it consists of slow synth pads with little to no beat.
Having said all that, the movie is somewhat underrated, as it does have an interesting style and builds a curious post-apocalyptic world. All these years later, I still remember this movie. There are mysterious characters whose motivations and abilities slowly get revealed throughout the film. The acting, which this movie heavily relies upon, is not that bad. The main female character just needed better direction. I can totally see this film being a series of forgotten FMV adventure games from the 90’s. Unfortunately, if you’ve come to watch an action movie about a cyborg, you will quickly run out of patience with this pessimistic slow sci-fi drama.
I wish someone redid this movie and gave it life rather than its current zombie existence.