Adam Driver gets a weak taste of dino might in the sci-fi thriller ’65’
Review by Brian Lowry, CNN
Adam Driver has his fans, but he seems determined to test their loyalty with some of his recent film choices, the sci-fi thriller “65” being the latest among them. Although the title refers to how many million years ago Driver’s character visits Earth — encountering dinosaurs when he gets there — it could just as easily denote the score the movie earns on a scale of one to 200.
Driver still looks pretty human, but he’s actually an alien from long ago named Mills, who undertakes an exploratory mission before his spacecraft is struck by an asteroid and crash lands on Earth. The only other survivor is an orphaned young girl, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), which, shades of “The Last of Us,” resonates because Mills left an ailing child behind when he embarked on the journey.
Koa essentially serves one basic purpose, giving Mills someone to talk to (even if they don’t speak the same language) and rescue from the jaws of hungry dinosaurs, as they schlep across the perilous landscape toward their one possible means of escape.
Written and directed by the team of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (whose writing credits include “A Quiet Place”), “65” somehow manages to include a lot of dinosaurs and still be fairly boring. Much of that has to do with the fact that practically every beat of the film is wildly predictable, including the arbitrary deadline the duo faces in terms of finding a way home.
Driver certainly remains much in demand for leading-man roles, and he has exhibited an eclectic appetite in that regard. Yet after his Oscar-nominated turn in “Marriage Story” the tale of the tape has been pretty bleak, including “Annette,” “House of Gucci,” “White Noise” and now this tepid thrill ride, raising the question of whether it’s time for him to become a bit more choosy.
Charitably, “65” can be viewed as an old-fashioned throwback to the kind of “B” movies that flourished about 65 years ago, just graced with the modern techniques now available for bringing ancient creatures to life.
That said, there’s a reason such films have, in theatrical terms, been pushed to the brink of extinction, and “65” represents such an uninspired effort as to look like a fossil even before the credits roll.
“65” premieres March 10 in US theaters. It’s rated PG-13.
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