65 (2023)

Written by CinemaSerf on March 25, 2023

"Mills" (Adam Driver) undertakes a long space mission so he can earn enough money for his poorly daughter to have life-saving treatment. Along the route, their ship encounters an uncharted meteor storm and next thing he knows, he is marooned on a distinctly hostile planet with the only other survivor - the feisty young "Koa" (Ariana Greenblatt) for company, Their only hope is to reach a distant part of their wrecked mother ship in which there is an escape module that can propel them back into space where they might be rescued. Snag? Well they are not the only living creatures on this world - and without exception, the others all want "Mills" and "Koa" sandwiches for lunch, and - wait for it - there is a great big meteor on a collision course with the planet that is going to have an existential impact on their surroundings. What now ensues is a rather predictable series of "Jurassic Park" style adventures that offer the visual effects folks a chance to shine, but little else. Driver is completely unremarkable here, the escapades have little - or no - jeopardy and I just kept thinking this was just a sort of dinosaurs do "Degoba" style of adventure. I didn't hate it, and it will be fine on the telly at Christmas - but as a big screen experience it is weak, derivative and the star brings nothing at all to the party.