Miguel Sapchnik’s apocalyptic buddy movie snatches defeat from the jaws of victory LONDON: If you were designing a movie to win over even the most cynical of viewers, the list of ingredients might look a little like “Finch.” Tom Hanks? Check. Big-budget special effects? Check. Cute animal sidekick? Check. Robot? Check. Heart-warming lessons about life? Check. It’s hard to imagine what could go wrong. Except that, weirdly, it doesn’t quite work. “Finch” certainly looks the part — although it’s very obvious that the lush CGI visuals were meant for the big screen before the movie became just one of the many delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s now available on Apple TV+. Miguel Sapochnik (the Emmy-winning director behind several of the most memorable and thrilling “Game of Thrones” episodes) seems to struggle to find the right tone for the film, lapsing into slapstick in some moments, while aiming to tug on the heartstrings with offputtingly calculated transparency in others. Neither mode feels altogether convincing. Inventor Finch Weinberg (Hanks) and his beloved dog appear to be the only survivors in post-apocalyptic St. Louis, Missouri. Finch scavenges for food for them both, but also for parts with which to finish building a robot companion (Caleb Landry Jones in a motion-capture role) who, he hopes, will take care of his dog after he’s gone. Catastrophic weather forces the trio out on the road, so Finch must not only navigate the dystopian landscape, but also teach the robot the requisite number of life-affirming lessons before they reach their destination — San Francisco. Jones’ robot flits from loveable nincompoop to frightfully efficient protector and back again, while Sapochnik can’t seem to decide whether Finch is an incredibly competent survivor or a sickly dog owner with some messed-up priorities. After all, the movie’s entire momentum is centered around the narrative that there needs to be someone (or something) around to feed a dog. It’s a strange, discombobulating viewing experience. Everything is in place for “Finch” to be one of the year’s warmest, fuzziest films. Instead, it’s one of the more perplexing.