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For understandable reasons, SONY has developed an obsession with stories that boil down to a tough guy escorting a child through a dangerous environment for some typically noble cause. Arguably starting with The Last of Us (the original PS3 game from 2013) and going on from there. To be fair, SONY didn't invent this storyline. Its earlier rendition is more famously known as the Japanese story Lone Wolf and Cub, which has served as the basis for Western-oriented stories like Road to Perdition.
It's a simple setup that can work in just about any genre or situation, which has been at least partially proven in today's subject, simply titled 65. A science fiction adventure starring one of our greatest modern actors in a story penned by a pair of talented creatives who know their way around a good monster movie. It's too bad that it doesn't quite stick the landing as well as it could have, but there's just enough entertainment value to be had that its shortcomings are relatively easy to forgive (mostly).
The story follows a humanoid alien named Mills (Adam Driver), a pilot on a particular long-distance galactic trek across the galaxy. After getting hit by an unexpected asteroid field, the ship crash lands on an "unknown" Planet, with Mills and a young girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt) as the only survivors. Koa speaks in another language unfamiliar to Mills, causing some difficulty in communication. Despite this hurdle, they must travel to the other half of the crashed ship to use the available escape pod to get off the Planet. Little do they know that here, there be monsters. Or, in this case, Dinosaurs!
Right off the bat, the film hits an exciting concept that should be explored more, depositing the idea of humanoid aliens visiting Earth during the prehistoric era. The idea of humanoid aliens who appear exactly like ourselves today is ripe for some fascinating stories that could make for exciting movies. Sadly, 65 appears to be less interested in that idea and only uses the humanoid alien concept as an excuse to avoid coming up with a time travel concept. Granted, it's still an exciting idea that hasn't been explored before, but the film itself doesn't seem as interested in the idea as it should be.
Instead, the film opts for the most minimal amount of world-building and character depth in favor of pitting Adam Driver against as many Dinosaurs as possible. Admittedly, it is always fun to see Adam Driver flex his chops as an actor and former Marine. Still, it feels wasted in a movie with a significantly more fascinating idea lurking in the background. While what we get in terms of drama is at least serviceable, it can't hold a candle to what might have been.
On the flip side, the performances and chemistry between the two leads are solid and entertaining, and the visual effects & production design are well done. The cinematography delivers creative, engaging shots with excellent lighting and clever camera work. Though overdone in parts, the music hits every beat with decent precision. And, of course, Adam Driver continues to cement himself as one of those actors whom I could enjoy watching on stage reading the phonebook.
65 is a film with an incredible idea that needs more focus. It's impossible to tell if the writers were not interested in the idea or if SONY demanded more blockbuster stuff. Still, in any case, this feels like a film that wanted to be more than it was, only to be denied the chance to become so. This may lead to further exploration of the more interesting concepts, but until then, it's a mild curiosity at best and a wasted opportunity at worst.
Give it a look if there's nothing else.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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