Review: ‘Here’ doesn’t live up to its impressive pedigree

“Here” may be unlike any other film you have seen, a celebration of the life moments that can happen in one small spot on this great planet over time.

The movie also is notable for being a reunion of key players from 1994′s beloved, Academy Award-winning “Forrest Gump,” with stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, filmmaker Robert Zemeckis and writer Eric Roth together again.

Disappointingly, neither of those highly appealing aspects is reason enough to recommend the film, which, despite some strengths, feels like a missed opportunity.

Based on Richard McGuire’s 2014 graphic novel of the same name — it’s an extension of his comic strip dating to the end of the 1980s — “Here” is a nonlinear, revolving series of vignettes.

The film begins in prehistoric times, with large insects and giant dinosaurs. Then come meteors, ice, plant life, indigenous people and, eventually, colonial types, who dig a foundation for a modest house, lay bricks and begin to raise walls.

From there, we spend time with the families that inhabit the home.

They include its first occupants, John Harter (Gwilym Lee, “The Great”), who not long after the development of aviation has a passion for flying that terrifies his wife, Pauline (Michelle Dockery, “Downton Abbey”).

There’s Leo Beekman (David Fynn, “Undateable”), an inventor whose work leads to a well-known brand of reclining chairs, and his supportive better half, Stella (Ophelia Lovibond, “Elementary”).

And a Black family — Devon Harris (Nicholas Pinnock, “For Life”), wife Helen (Nikki Amuka-Bird, “Rumours”) and son Justin (Cache Vanderpuye, “Invasion”) -- that weathers the coronavirus pandemic in the domicile. (A scene in which Devon lays out in plain terms exactly how Justin should behave if he’s ever pulled over by a police officer is one of the film’s best.)

For the majority of its life, however, the house is home to the Young family, starting with its purchase in 1945 by World War II veteran Al (Paul Bettany, “WandaVision”) and his wife, Rose (Kelly Reilly, “Yellowstone”). Their family will come to include son Richard, portrayed from the time he’s a young man by Hanks with the help of special effects.

One day, Hanks brings home the woman with whom he will build a life in the house, Margaret (Wright).

Almost exclusively, Zemeckis and director of photography (and fellow “Gump” alum) Don Burgess leave the camera in one position, the space in the frame changed by production designer Ashley Lamont (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) via elements such as furniture and curtains.

Co-written by Roth and Zemeckis, “Here” is like a play unrestricted by the time needed for set changes, the film zipping along at what at times is an almost-dizzying pace, using boxes within the frame to aid in — to preview, if you will — transitions in time.

As a technical exercise, it’s all fairly interesting — but that’s about the best you can say about it.

Sure, it’s enjoyable to see the dependable Hanks and Wright — Forrest and Jenny — together again, but Richard and Margaret aren’t that compelling. It may be tempting to put some of the blame on all the de-aging effects done in the movie on Hanks and Wright, but it’s convincing enough, and we’ve gotten pretty used to this kind of thing by now.

Zemeckis infuses “Here” with an overly precious tone, as the talented director is often want to do. You can’t help but wonder if something more may have been made of the source material in another artist’s hands

2 stars (out of 4)

Rating: PG-13 for thematic material, some suggestive material, brief strong language and smoking.

Where: In theaters