Review: 65

Directed by: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods

Written by: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods

Starring: Adam Driver & Ariana Greenblatt

Rating: [3/5]

Some films just need one line to sell the whole experience to provide the necessary buy-in for my interest to grow. Having Adam Driver fight off dinosaurs in a science fiction movie pretty much has all I could ever need. What else could one really want? Well, I suppose a competent story would help, which we certainly do not receive in 65 but man it certainly has enough to keep me entertained even if it will not have a lasting impact. 

Traversing across the galaxy, Mills’s (Adam Driver) space vessel encounters an asteroid field that forces them to crash-land on a mysterious planet called Earth. While it appears all aboard the ship are dead, Mills finds one survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt) and as the two seek to find the escape pod that can get them off of the planet, they encounter some strange creatures that appear like dinosaurs. 

Pretty much everyone has probably had the conversation at least once of how they would have fared had they lived in the era of the dinosaurs. A discussion that reminds us that no matter how cool we think they are, humans would not have fared well amongst these gargantuan creatures that could easily take us all out. Obviously, had humans existed back then they would not have the technology we have today that would give us a fighting chance, which Mills has to an even higher degree when he crash lands. While he does not have a full arsenal at his disposal, the man still has plenty of futuristic weaponry to do some damage while on Earth, allowing for this hypothetical discussion to play out before our very eyes. 

In theory is where most of the quality of this film lies, where the idea of Adam Driver facing off with dinosaurs feels much cooler than the actual reality of what this film exhibits with its presentation in a fairly lackluster manner. Not quite delivering the emotional core worth really hanging onto between Mills and Koa other than the mutual existence as humans trying to survive this world. Everything rests on him fighting these dinosaurs and answering the question of which of these ancient creatures will attack the pair and how they fare against them. 

Within this particular arena is where 65 saves itself from being wholly forgettable. The moments with the large dinosaurs do provide a sense of scale to show how much Mills and Koa must fear them and how we would be fools to think we would last long if walking amongst them. It delivers this fear across the bowel, where at any moment these two might encounter yet another dinosaur that will try to attack them as they navigate this perilous world. While we do not know much of where they came from, they certainly have not taken on this level of creatures, making for the showdown somewhat entertaining. That does not mean the film excels in its overall endeavor to the degree one would want, but it certainly does provide at least a baseline level of entertainment that allowed me to feel as if I received what I asked for when it came to Adam Driver fighting off dinosaurs. 

Speaking of Adam Driver, I cannot fully piece together what would make him want to take on this project considering the man sits atop the A-list of actors with the directors he’s working with and the slew of projects ahead of him, but maybe this provided a quick buck. At the very least, Driver put in a good, solid effort in committing to what this film asked of him and did not completely phone it in despite the material not necessarily much to bite on other than looking frightened of an incoming dinosaur. 

Not much to write home about and certainly not a film I will think about long after the finality of this review, 65 still somehow manages to still deliver some good, solid entertainment. I certainly never wanted to turn it off and I felt compelled to see it all the way through, which some movies certainly cannot compare to. This film combined just enough of the intrigue it provided from its premise with some lackluster but fun execution to make a sandwich that properly fed me for the time being, but did not provide any sustenance. It never sought to be anything more, and I respect it.