On paper, the idea for “65” seems like it could work. Adam Driver (“House of Gucci“”) versus dinosaurs? What’s not to like? Turns out a considerable amount.
In spite of being a major blockbuster there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of it so here’s the official synopsis:
After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.
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More of a Snore than a Roar
Throw dinosaurs on screen at any point and you’re going to inevitably be compared to “Jurassic Park” and “65” certainly takes a few pages out of their playbook. However if you’re going to try to steal from the best you better come with your A game. Instead the film presents us with bobo versions of the main creatures we know so well from the Jurassic franchise. We’re presented with an almost T-rex looking creature or some mini raptors. While they may be legitimate denizens of the Cretaceous era, many of them feel like exaggerations.
Which leads us to one of the larger issues with the film: is this supposed to be in our current timeline? Is this a parallel timeline where humanoids happen to have developed space travel 65 million years ago and just happen to land on Earth? There are a bevy of ways the filmmakers could’ve made those factors matter, but ultimately they fizzle into the background. That paired with a penchant to try to build up tension too early, only to telegraph suspenseful moments way too early renders the film dull. They could’ve taken a page out of another of Steven Spielberg’s playbooks, this time from “Jaws” and learned to NOT show their creatures too early or too much.
Driver gives a serviceable performance in the film though we think it would’ve been better served with someone less stoic. Greenblatt does her best and carries a decent amount.
Neither can salvage the antiquated and recycled concept. “65” belongs in a museum alongside the dinosaurs it stars. It’s currently in theaters now.
