Review of Extraordinary Measures (2010) by Zane T — 02 Jan 2011

Harrison Ford phones it in, but his performance saves this made-for-TV wannabe movie from a total disaster as an eccentrice (i.e. he listens to classic rock music in his lab and drives a late model pick-up truck) scientist when the movie gives him nothing to do but scream and holler a lot and tell people to "get out of my lab.

" Maybe in the outtakes, he says "Get off my plane!" one time. But Ford's character isn't the lead. He's not even a real person in this "inspired by real events" story.

He is a fictional composite of a real doctor who was probably nothing like Ford's portrayal. Brendan Fraser is the lead and his character is based on a real person and unfortunately, he is hard to follow, so is his wife underplayed by Keri Russell and his kids, who are played by the worst child actors available.

I know it's a sad story that they were born with Pompe's disease, but these performances get no sympathy. Neither does the plot, which is confusing because it's never really sure what Fraser's character does except piss people off, the same that Ford's character does.

By this movie's standard, being a research scientist means drawing equations on a dry-ease board and yelling a lot. Also, the movie changes locations constantly and characters are introduced without any explanation of who they are and what their importance is.

As for the disease itself, little explanation is given as what causes it and the symptoms. This is the first movie by CBS Films and it feels more like it should have been a Hallmark movie starring Scott Glen or Corbin Bernsen as the doctor and Harry Conick Jr.

as the Fraser's character. Keri Russell stay in her role.