When a spaceship crashes on an unknown planet, the only survivors are pilot/explorer Mills (Adam Driver) and a young passenger (Ariana Greenblatt) who doesn't speak his language. The planet is a prehistoric jungle populated by hostile creatures... dinosaurs!
I like the simple premise and the actors, and the mid-point twist was neat (if a little predictable), but this sci-fi adventure feels a little generic. And this is from someone who loves dinosaurs and schlocky science fiction and also really enjoyed A Quiet Place, the writers-directors' previous script.
You know what's the best things about monster movies? Set-pieces where characters get killed in scary, imaginative ways. Problem: if your only characters are the protagonist and the child he is protecting, it's pretty much guaranteed they will both survive until, at the very least, the final act (where the protagonist's heroic sacrifice becomes an option).
I understand they wanted to focus mostly on the relationship between Mills, who has lost his daughter, and the young girl, but it was a bad call: it's kind of cute but just not interesting enough to carry the film. We have seen this kind of "stoic lone wolf with dramatic backstory protects kid and they bond" story a LOT of times, especially lately (just ask Pedro Pascal).
A few more survivors who end up on the dinosaurs' buffet (or not) could have made things a lot more lively. I mean, Pitch Black had a sort of similar premise 20 years ago and there was a nice little group to follow.
6/10.
I like the simple premise and the actors, and the mid-point twist was neat (if a little predictable), but this sci-fi adventure feels a little generic. And this is from someone who loves dinosaurs and schlocky science fiction and also really enjoyed A Quiet Place, the writers-directors' previous script.
You know what's the best things about monster movies? Set-pieces where characters get killed in scary, imaginative ways. Problem: if your only characters are the protagonist and the child he is protecting, it's pretty much guaranteed they will both survive until, at the very least, the final act (where the protagonist's heroic sacrifice becomes an option).
I understand they wanted to focus mostly on the relationship between Mills, who has lost his daughter, and the young girl, but it was a bad call: it's kind of cute but just not interesting enough to carry the film. We have seen this kind of "stoic lone wolf with dramatic backstory protects kid and they bond" story a LOT of times, especially lately (just ask Pedro Pascal).
A few more survivors who end up on the dinosaurs' buffet (or not) could have made things a lot more lively. I mean, Pitch Black had a sort of similar premise 20 years ago and there was a nice little group to follow.
6/10.