"Extraordinary Measures" is one of those "feel-good", "inspirational" films which is actually feel-good and inspirational but in a very generic kind-of-way.

Brendan Fraser awkwardly stars as a businessman who desperately hopes that "they" will find a cure for Pompe disease, which two of his children are dying from. As you would expect, he stays up late researching trying to find the latest advances. This teams him up with Harrison Ford, an unpersonable scientist, who also provides the few comic relief moments.

Based on a true story, but in such a way that although the overall story may come from real life, all the events shown are surely fictional. It's dramatic when we need it to be and things work out when we need them to - way too formulaic and tidy for real life. They tell us some of the science behind the cure, which is of course nonsense, but it's supposed to get the audience more invested in what's happening; however, it's just a reminder that this is Hollywood not real life.

Let me go back to the beginning, "Extraordinary Measures" is feel-good and inspirational, and if you like those types of movies, this one plays out exactly as it's supposed to. You'll get swept up into the story and cry when you're supposed to. Everything is right on cue.

John (Brendan Fraser) and Aileen Crowley (Keri Russell) have two children with Pompe Disease. It's a genetic disease that most can only hope to survive until they're 9. Their daughter Megan just turn 8. They recruit the crotchety researcher Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford),and together they face hurdles and each other as they race to find a treatment.

This reminded me of other movies of its kind like 'Lorenzo's Oil'. It's the basic movie of parents heroically battling their children's disease facing insurmountable odds. The three leads do an admirable job. There isn't many surprises or originality in the story. It's fine as an underdog story. It's a good TV movie souped up with first class movie stars.

The venture capital part is a bit different, but it's probably not as cinematic as it needs to be. They did as much as they could. Every once in awhile, they stick a knife in like 'Acceptable loss' but it doesn't make it compelling.

Extraordinary Measures is supposedly based on true events. Like the 1992 film, Lorenzo's Oil it is the story of two parents in a relentless search for a cure. In this case children suffering from Pompe's disease.

Brendan Fraser plays the dad who gives up a well paid executive job in order to develop a possible cure.

Harrison Ford is the doctor who has done cutting edge research but needs to turn that research into a substantive cure.

In their way is the search for finance which leads them to the arms of the pharmaceutical companies who have alternative agendas one of them being the search for the bottom line. The almighty dollar.

Fraser does well as the doting dad who fears time for his son and daughter is running out, ably supported by Keri Russell who plays the mum.

Ford on the other hand is again on the well trodden road as the sourpuss, the hard to get along maverick researcher. He really brings nothing new to the table as the grouch which he has been playing for many years now

The biggest problem is that the film is just a big budget movie of the week with bigger stars. The script rather jogs along, Fraser seeks out Ford, Ford is sceptical and hard hearted, he mellows. Then once they hook up with the big pharmaceutical companies, they fall out as Ford is not a team player and then reunite as the drug trials start.

The biggest stars of the film are the children who play the sufferers of Pompe's disease who bring home their plight more than the script does.