Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser star in what feels like a 1980′s made-for-tv movie. “Extraordinary Measures” is a dull “saving kids lives” melodrama — based on a true story, although quite surely embellished. It reeks of cheese. I am quite sure that the reality of it all was far less “Hollywood”.
Fraser plays the father trying to save his children from Pompe disease. Ford plays the rebellious doctor who doesn’t wait for government approval before testing. The two of them “fight the system” in order to discover the cure. You can follow the paint-by-numbers plot all the way to the finish line.
The acting is mailed in. The screenplay never has the guts to confront the real issues of universal health care, insurance scams and government control of drug prices. No, instead, this lame duck of a movie is purely made for house-moms who are sitting home on a Wednesday afternoon in desperate need of a replacement for Oprah, who is showing another re-run.
