David Robert Mitchell wrote and directed this sci-fi adventure thriller. It surprised me that the story had so much more to it than I expected. I had seen the trailer before the screening, and it sounded interesting, but I was hesitant about whether it would have the depth it does. The trailer emphasized the dinosaur’s arrival in a white-picket-fence Michigan neighborhood in the 1980s, but it didn’t hint at this family’s situation.
The Platt family appears to have a great home in a suburban neighborhood where everyone seems to know everyone else, celebrates holidays together outdoors – you get the scene of this nostalgia. Denise (Anne Hathaway) and Greg (Ewan McGregor) Platt have a teen daughter (Maisy Stella) and pre-teen son (Christian Convery). Truth be told, there’s trouble in their home life, and the kids know it, but they don’t discuss it openly. The performances are all very good, showing how this affects the characters and how they evolve with the sudden change in their environment and neighborhood.
The cosmic premises are underexplored, but it is entertaining to learn this as a reason for how the neighborhood lands in prehistoric times. Saying too much more might spoil it, and the film deserves to be seen in much more detail. The family learns they need to work together to survive encounters with what exists beyond the four walls of the home.
The blend of family drama and action works well. Some of the action is unexpected for me, and of course, I did react in small jumps that other viewers may not have. I did see someone call this a “big, loud, family-friendly dinosaur adventure,” but I would suggest being careful about taking the younger family members to see the film. Some may be more sensitive to seeing dinosaurs ready to dine on something other than plants.
Michael Giacchino’s score may sound playful at times, but the composer is excellent at changing it up for the more sinister scenes. I have admired this composer’s work for several years and haven’t been disappointed by his work on any film.
The runtime is 1 hour and 39 minutes, and it is rated PG-13.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures