Reviews for Tom Hanks' newest movie, Here sees Hanks reunite with Forrest Gump collaborators Robert Zemeckis and Robin Wright. Hanks and Wright last shared the screen together in 1994's Forrest Gump, in which they played love interests Forrest and Jenny. Zemeckis directed Forrest Gump, and has also teamed up with Hanks on other iconic films, such as Cast Away. Therefore, with the amount of talent behind and in front of the camera for Here, anticipation was high for the film.

However, several critics have been unimpressed with Here. The story of Hanks' new movie is very ambitious, as it is entirely set on one plot of land, and starts in the far past before a home is eventually built. From there, the main story of Here follows several families who live in the same home at different times over the course of a century. Zemeckis co-wrote Here with Killers of the Flower Moon screenwriter Eric Roth. In addition to Hanks and Wright, the film also stars Paul Bettany and Kelly Reilly.

Here's Reviews Criticize The Film's Story & Setting Limitations

Here Is Set Entirely In One Room

In Here, Zemeckis sets the camera up to showcase one room in the home, but that's all. Therefore, the film is structured very similar to a stage play, in which the story being told is limited to a confined space. While this is a unique concept, several reviews pointed out that the idea is not executed well enough. The Daily Beast's review stated that Zemeckis has "little interest in playing with the tension between what’s inside and outside its frame."

While the reviewer noted Zemeckis does find some creative ways to show what's on the other side of the camera, they argue that he still "doesn’t take advantage of the very seen/unseen dynamic that his gimmick seems designed to investigate."

Unfortunately, reviews have also pointed out that Here's story and characters are not that interesting.

Even if limiting the movie's story to only one location is not very effective, Here still could've told a satisfying story if audiences were invested in the characters. However, unfortunately, reviews have also pointed out that Here's story and characters are not that interesting. In its review, Variety refers to the four families who inhabit the home as "disappointingly generic."

Here Highlights Its De-Aging Technology Better Than The Characters

Here De-Ages Tom Hanks and Robin Wright

Since Here highlights the lives of different families living in a home over the course of a century, the characters age dramatically throughout the movie. Hanks and Wright are introduced in the movie as teenagers, but end the movie as an elderly couple. Hanks, 68, and Wright, 58, can no longer convincingly play teenagers, but instead of casting younger actors, Zemeckis utilizes de-aging technology to show them inhabiting their home during their younger years.

To achieve this, Zemeckis and the creative team behind the film loaded thousands of archival images of both actor's faces into an engine to create a "digital makeup" for Hanks and Wright. Then, they superimposed their "digital makeup" on them in post-production, and also during filming. This is a practice that is becoming more and more common in Hollywood.

It has previously been used for acclaimed movies such as Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, and also for popular franchises like Star Wars. However, the end result is not always convincing, and IndieWire notes that "we’re never not aware that these are actors three times the age of the characters they’re playing."

Here Had Massive Expectations As A Forrest Gump Reunion Movie

Forrest Gump And Jenny Are A Memorable Cinematic Couple

As mentioned, Here had even higher expectations to live up to because it acted as the reunion movie for Hanks, Wright, and Zemeckis, all three of whom were acclaimed for their work on Forrest Gump. Since Hanks and Wright haven't starred in a movie together for 30 years, longtime fans of Forrest Gump were excited to see their chemistry on screen again. While reviews for Here note that Hanks and Wright convincingly play husband and wife, their story in the film is not as intriguing as it was in the 1995 Best Picture winner.

While it may be unfair to compare Here to an iconic film like Forrest Gump, that is an inevitability when considering how excited many were for the trio of Hanks, Wright, and Zemeckis to reunite. Beyond the love that many still have for Forrest Gump, Hanks and Zemeckis also collaborated on Cast Away, another wildly successful and iconic movie. Therefore, based on their track record, it is fair for fans to expect the best out of this director/actor duo. Unfortunately, Here just does not seem to be meeting many people's expectations.

Why Here's Reviews Are So Discouraging

In Addition To Forrest Gump and Cast Away, Zemeckis Also Directed All Three Back To The Future Movies

While Zemeckis has made many acclaimed movies, he's currently on a streak of movies that have garnered less-than-favorable reviews. His last three films, Pinocchio (which also stars Tom Hanks), The Witches, and Welcome to Marwen, have Rotten Tomatoes scores of 28%, 50%, and 34%, respectively. There was hope that Here could be a return to form for Zemeckis, and could have potentially led to more collaborations between himself, Hanks, and Wright. While a future collaboration between the Forrest Gump trio is not out of the realm of possibility, Here basically confirms that there wouldn't be as much excitement for it.

If Zemeckis could have combined his proven skill in crafting intriguing stories filled with rich and complex characters, with a creative use of technology to tell a tale that spans a century, Here could have been a massive cinematic achievement. However, so far, all of the reviews seem to agree that Here is an ambitious film that misses the mark, and ultimately ends up being underwhelming and forgettable.

Sources: The Daily Beast, Variety, IndieWire