Hypnotic

Bogging down in mumbo-jumbo about mind control and intellectual constructs, Hypnotic is rarely as captivating as its title suggests.

Despite a reliable Ben Affleck in the lead role, this slick and formulaic crime thriller from director Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids) begins with a mildly intriguing premise before evolving into a rather conventional cat-and-mouse battle of wits and weaponry.

Affleck plays Rourke, a Texas detective still reeling from the disappearance and suspected murder of his young daughter. While investigating a string of robberies alongside his partner (J.D. Pardo), Rourke finds clues that suggest his daughter is still alive, and her abduction is somehow connected.

The key could be the enigmatic Dellrayne (William Fichtner) who appears to be the perpetrator in the heists before eluding capture by using a form of thought control that resembles a real-life jedi mind trick.

That sends Rourke down a rabbit hole as he ponders traditional definitions of fantasy and reality. He finds an ally in a psychic (Alice Braga) who suspects his adversary has hypnotic abilities. “Telepaths just read the mind,” she explains cryptically. “Hypnotics reshape it.”

As his desperation grows, and Rourke himself becomes a target, his investigation triggers a downward spiral that makes him question the motives and loyalties of everyone around him.

The screenplay by Rodriguez and Max Borenstein (Godzilla vs. Kong) combines a generic procedural with science fiction accents and a dark character study of a troubled and morally conflicted cop obsessed with revenge at any cost.

However, despite some stylish visual flourishes and a lively pace, the twists become progressively more preposterous, and putting the puzzle together hardly feels worth the effort.

Affleck’s look of gruff determination appears plastered on his face, while Fichtner is more compelling as the poker-faced, nonchalant villain. The supporting cast includes Jackie Earle Haley, Jeff Fahey, and Dayo Okeniyi.

Meanwhile, the film’s Hitchcockian — or perhaps more along the lines of Christopher Nolan — ambitions remain unfulfilled, and the head-scratching ending seems to set up a sequel that hopefully won’t materialize.

Beneath the surface tension, Hypnotic doesn’t provide much incentive for emotional investment. As it turns out, moviegoers are the ones being manipulated.

Rated R, 92 minutes.