The Mosley Review: 65
I have really missed films like these. The simple, straight forward sci fi survival films that don't really have over reaching themes or some epic revelation that will shock the audience. Its just a quest from point A to point B and the adventure that ensues across the "foreign" terrain. What this film had going for it is the classic theme of man vs nature and I loved that. I will admit that if the twist of it being Earth wasn't given away in the trailer, then it may have been a greater surprise. It could've made this film a sleeper hit. It is a straight forward film that doesn't over stay its welcome by being more than 90 minutes and that was a plus for sure.
Adam Driver was excellent as the Mills as he is the equivalent of a space Fedex driver with a rifle. His story wasn't revolutionary by any means, but it does give him something to strive for and an emotional core that was almost unexpected. Chloe Coleman was great as his daughter Nevine and I loved the emotional rollercoaster her character exudes when Mills was with her and in the holographic messages she made for him. Ariana Greenblatt was good as Koa and I liked her reactions to the world around her and that she was smart. Most of the time in roles like hers, she could just be the person that needs to be protected all the time and uselessly screaming and constantly in danger. I liked that she wasn't that stereotypical trope throughout the film.
The score by Chris Bacon was fun and thrilling as the exploration continues and the action ramps up. It had slivers of inspiration from the Tron Legacy’s score at points and I loved the playful sound of wooden chimes in the scene with Mills and Koa playing. The action and tension was well shot and built up in the film. I had fun with this film over all and yes it may be formulaic, predictable and felt more like a survival video game at times, but I enjoyed that. It depicts the dinosaurs in the film as the main threat better than the last 3 films in a another dino-centric franchise and that's a fact. In the end, its a great matinee film that you can enjoy with a big bucket of popcorn. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
