Self/Less - C

Rated PG-13, 117 minutes

With many sci-fi films, you have suspend realism and disbelief to have a good time, especially when concerned with switching bodies or time travel. The hackneyed, mildly entertaining new sci-fi thriller "Self/Less" is one of those preposterous body transfer movies whose premise is far more intriguing than its execution. Billionaire industrialist Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) is master of his universe, until he encounters a foe that he can't defeat: cancer. His only hope is a radical medical procedure called "shedding" performed by a mysterious doctor (Matthew Goode) in which his consciousness is transferred to a healthy body. After the procedure, Damian, now called Edward (Ryan Reynolds), starts a new life in New Orleans, but is plagued by disturbing images. When he delves into Edward's mysterious origin, he learns that some will kill to keep it secret. Directed by Tarsem Singh ("Mirror, Mirror") and co-written by Alex Pastor and David Pastor, "Self/Less" starts off well and loses its footing in its second act, with some clear identity problems from its script; it knows its premise, it's just unsure how to deliver the goods. For the record, this is almost all Reynolds'  (whose done thing before, in the dreadful 2011 comedy "The Change-Up") film, and I'm unsure how Oscar-winner Kingsley gets top billing for a film in which he appears in only the first 15 minutes (you think I'm kidding, but I'm not, it's a very tiny role to share top billing). His character is far more interesting than Reynolds' underwritten character, and while Reynolds brings his usual, bland charm to the role, I had trouble connecting with him on an emotional level. Singh does manage some decent, intense hand-to-hand fight scenes which pepper the movie along with one decent car chase, but muddled plotting and characters that pop in and out that aren't well-drawn (though well-cast), especially Goode's evil doctor, Michelle Dockery of "Downton Abbey" fame as Damian's daughter, Natalie Martinez as Edward's wife, and the always likable Victor Garber as Damian's business partner. The likable, modestly engaging but ultimately unsatisfying "Self/Less" isn't a terrible film, but one with a great idea with results that are disappointing.