"65"

The film "65" is a curious case indeed. Despite its premise of Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs, the movie manages to be quite boring. A big-budget sci-fi epic with a reported cost of $91 million, "65" had the potential to embrace its B-movie roots and deliver a fun, entertaining romp.

Instead, the film tries to blend a survival story with a poignant family drama, but both elements end up feeling rushed and underdeveloped. The characters lack depth, and the action sequences quickly become repetitive and tiresome. There's a jump scare, notes from an intrusive score, some running and screaming, teeth gnashing, and perhaps an injury before a narrow escape. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseam.

The writing-directing duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who previously co-wrote "A Quiet Place" with John Krasinski, offer an intriguing and contradictory premise in "65". The story takes place 65 million years ago, yet posits that advanced civilizations existed back then on planets throughout the universe.

On one such planet, Driver plays a space pilot named Mills. He's on a two-year exploratory mission to afford medical treatment for his sick daughter (played by Chloe Coleman from "My Spy"). The ship Mills is flying encounters an unexpected asteroid field, gets shredded to pieces, and crashes. All the passengers in cryogenic sleep perish, except for one girl around the same age as his daughter. Her name is Koa, played by Ariana Greenblatt. The planet on which they find themselves, with its swampy terrain reminiscent of Dagobah, is none other than Earth.

Thus begins the schlep from the wreckage to the mountaintop, where Mills and Koa hope to commandeer the escape pod before becoming dino chow. The creatures are at times startling, but at other times look so cheesy and fake that they resemble animatronics from a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant.

It would have been better--or at least more entertaining--if "65" had embraced this silliness, and played with the absurdity of mixing futuristic technology with the Cretaceous period. Mills' advanced gadgets are rarely used in any innovative ways in this prehistoric setting. Attempts at humor fall flat, mainly consisting of Koa teasing Mills for being uptight. Perilous moments are resolved too quickly for the audience to fully appreciate the tension.

The biggest letdown of all, however, is Driver's performance. He is an actor of great intensity, capable of delivering thrilling and amusing performances. Think of him screaming "More!!!" as he blasts Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," or punching a wall during an argument in "Marriage Story." In "65," Driver's character is frustratingly bland and lacks any of the charisma or complexity that we've come to expect from him. His character is stoically heroic, but seems generally annoyed at everything that's happening around him.

Greenblatt, in contrast, does her best with a character that is given very little to work with. Koa speaks a language that's not English, so most of her dialogue is untranslated gibberish. Her interactions with Mills are underdeveloped, leaving the audience to wonder why we should care about their survival.

To make matters worse, Jane struggled to connect with her coworkers. She found them to be cliquey and unapproachable, and she often felt left out of important conversations and events. As a result, she began to feel lonely and isolated.

Despite her challenges, Jane refused to give up. She knew that quitting was not an option, and she was determined to succeed in her new role. She sought out advice from mentors and colleagues, and she began to take steps to improve her work-life balance. She made an effort to leave work at a reasonable hour, and she started pursuing hobbies outside of work to give herself a break from the stresses of the job.

Over time, Jane's hard work and perseverance paid off. She began to develop better relationships with her colleagues, and she started to feel more comfortable in her role as a manager. Her team began to thrive under her leadership, and she was praised by her superiors for her dedication and hard work.

Looking back, Jane realized that the challenges she faced early on in her new job were actually opportunities for growth and learning. Through her struggles, she developed important skills such as resilience, adaptability, and leadership. She also learned the value of seeking help when needed and the importance of taking care of herself both physically and mentally.

In the end, Jane's journey serves as a reminder that success often comes with challenges and setbacks. However, with determination and a willingness to learn and grow, it is possible to overcome even the most difficult of obstacles.