I have to confess something. I watched this movie knowing that it's main goal is to work as right wing propaganda.Special effects are OK, but they are nothing spectacular. What really misses the mark is the one-dimension of the story and characters and the obvious intent to chip away at the separation of church and state is too annoying to ignore.The slant given on a Secular State that runs the bad guys and the clear reference to the "Cristero Wars" Miguel Agustín Pro make it clear this movie is intended as propaganda for right wing politicians who wish to see the separation from church and state removed from Mexican Laws.Even the name of the movie, 2033, is a reference to the 33 degrees of francmasonry, which catholics in Mexico have pictured as devil worshippers.

I have to say I am Mexican and a Sci fi fan so... taking that in to account Yes the movie has a lot of little issues here and there... and in the end it fails to deliver...But still the visuals are amazing, maybe i'm wrong but never seen a Mexican movie like this before... It looked pretty expensive, and We know how Mexico's pesos are devaluated currently,the scenaries are beautiful and the movie it reminded me a bit of THX 1138, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451 and some others of the kind lets give it some credit, in its context, usually Mexican films are pretty much the same all the time, I felt this one was significantly different at least from my point of view, the theme was new for Mexican directors, and the story, everything, We know we've seen the plot in other international movies already, but at least not in here and trust me I was always complaining about it the plot I think it was OK, most of the bad side actors and Pablo (the main one) I felt were good in their roles, but the truth is the good guys (the girl and the priest) were halfway the road, it was like not enough character development, motives, their dialogues lacked of feeling and emotion sometimes, etc I just could not buy them...all in all I LIKED THE MOVIe, I enjoyed it, was Interesting, visually appealing, I was tense in some scenes waiting for the outcome, and I was surprised for the premise of the movie, besides some actings I did not like the end... other than that It was OK, and decent for a Mexican Movie...I think the director took some risks but if He makes another one maybe he'll get there... I definitely say Worth watching...

Seems like the overwhelming tide of reviews I'd read were mixed or negative, minus one external review from a sci-fi website that praised it. Also the film won a best film award at the Cancun Film Festival, so my hopes were a little raised that at least it would be halfway decent. I also tend to take the bulk of Mexican public reviews with a grain of salt, as they're often a bit reactionary to films that throw social criticism towards modern Mexican society (case in point: the harsh reviews of Gael Garcia Bernal's directorial debut, Déficit).I'll touch on the good points first: SFX were pretty well done. The futurist/steampunk redesign of Mexico City was OK, maybe a bit too over- the-top given the film only takes place 23 years into the future, maybe rips-off on much of "alternate/future Earth" sci-fi but still, it was a high point of 2033. The basic premise of the film also I though was great...which I won't elaborate on to avoid giving away spoilers.However, how the details of story actually play out, well...it leaves a lot to be desired. The vision of future is so narrowly focused on Mexico, so narrowly plotted around one social issue that certainly will turn off a lot of folks, very simplistic. The characters likewise are one-dimensional. The acting and directing really most fitting for a telenovela/soap opera and commercials...cuts were very obvious to take out the worst moments but the final product is mediocre.The film proves that once again, you can glitz up a film and try to market it as cutting edge, you can have a great idea for plotting, but in the end if your story is weak, poor/mediocre acting, amateur direction....well, it really falls flat in the end. Some of the best Mexican movies I've seen so far have been more bare-boned which maybe leads for more innovation on the directing floor, asking more of everyone for a better, more interesting film.

Visually this movie is really beautiful. Francisco Laresgoiti's usage of Mexico City and its surroundings creates a futuristic and exciting stage, and it's clear that a lot of effort has been put into creating this feeling of a cold world. The feeling I get is a mixture between Orwell's 1984 and Gibson's Neuromancer.The story line is simple and the unemotional acting of the "bad-guys" is a perfect fit. It's the lack of emotion and depth when portraying the good side that is the reason this movie never really reaches its potential. It will be interesting to see if the prequel will improve this aspect.