Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs sounds exciting, and the trailer for 65 may have believing this is what the film is all about. But heading into it with those expectations firmly set may leave you disappointed.
This film is absolute fine. Aggressively fine! Your mileage may vary when it comes to dino accuracy, and father/relationships, and sci-fi design, but for me it was an OK balance.
I suffer from a bad case of “that doesn’t look like Jurassic Park” when it comes to dinosaur designs, so 65 had its work cut out. What I do like about them is that they’re obviously creatures rather than characters. From smaller Raptor types through to the T.rex, they’re all dangerous obstacles. But it’s not because they’re evil, they just to so what they do. Especially when there are a couple of strange pieces of meat running around making noise.
Similarly, I always try to make sense of weaponry and tech. So when a weapon seems to be everything from a rifle to a shotgun and only run out of ammo when the script requires it…hm. Also, where’s the sight? How does he aim!
Alright alright, I’ll ease up on the design choices.
I can’t fault the actors. Driver and Greenblatt (who is making some serious franchise moves with the MCU and Star Wars now under her belt) both give honest performances on thinly written roles. The film is essentially one big trope – stoic lead protecting spunky/vulnerable child, and it sometimes manages that. If you can handle the conceit that they sort of understand each other, then you should be alright.
And I think really, dialling into the conceits of the film is what’s going to decide your feelings on it.
But something to touch upon is that 65 is a mid-budget film, and it’s good to see one. Not everything needs to be huge! Working in this area is risky. There usually isn’t an established IP to lean on, whilst there may be bigger talent involved. I don’t think 65 has performed too well, but we need more films like this.
Ultimately, 65 is fine, and that’s fine.
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