Why write a movie review of 65, the feature film from 2023, on this historical blog. The film 65 is described as a science-fiction movie. But the theme is also very historical. But is this both historical and futuristic movie starring Adam Driver worth watching? That remains the question. But be sure, you will find the answer in this film review. And no, there are no spoilers on this page.
The movie 65: what is it about – summary
The film 65 is described as a science fiction action movie. It even reminded me of the horror movie A Quiet PLace, which is not that surprising since both films were written by the same writers.
So why discuss 65 on my history blog then? Well, the number 65 refers to the legendary time of 65 million years ago..yes, the time when dinosaurs dominated the world.
Space pilot Mills, played by actor Adam Driver, whom we know as the successor to Darth Vader in Star Wars, appear yet again among the stars. This time he ends up on planet Earth during the era of the dinosaurs. His crash turns into a rescue mission to save a young girl, Nevine, played by Ariana Greenblatt.
You can probably guess: the story revolves around the two main characters, who are pursued by a wide variety of dinosaurs. And this throughout most of the movie 65. For this movie review of 65, I must say that I want to mention several moments in the film that I found strange or odd and that made me furrow my eyebrows a few times.
Movie review 65: strange and odds scenes
There is no need to watch the movie for the historical factor: the emphasis in this film lays much more on action than in a ‘similar’ movie like Jurassic Park or Jurassic World.
On the other hand, some parts of 65 feel like they were heavily edited. Without wanting to give anything away: if you are stuck somewhere for 15 minutes and want to escape from a dinosaur that is coming towards you, and the next frame you find yourself outside again, I personally miss a few steps in the story.
Further film review of 65
Overall, I was already counting down towards the end credits of the movie halfway through. 65 minutes long, so to speak. Why? Because the story was quite predictable and plot twists were not surprising. The story of the film 65 follows the same pattern every time: people are attacked by dinosaurs and by a stroke of luck (and very often a deus ex machina as they say in Hollywood terms) solutions are found. In my opinion, you can get away with that a few times, but not almost every time and certainly not in your decisive final scenes.
The dissapointment during this dino movie reminds me of my misplaced enthusiasm for the Japanese Dinosaur Park I found on the internet, which turned out to be mostly a children’s amusement park with some dinosaur puppets.
Some good things to say about the movie 65
Is there anything good to say about this movie? Sure! I am immediately thinking about Adam Driver, who I still consider to be a good actor that makes the movie bearable. If it were plated by a lesser actor, I would have turned of the movie 65 way more earlier.
Furthermore, I thought the visuals and CGI were very nice. The film consists almost entirely of green screen and CGI, but there wasn’t really a moment when I noticed that. That did contribute to some degree of immersion. Just a shame that the story was so so thin.
Conclusion: my movie review of the film 65 with Adam Driver
Would I recommend this movie? Not quickly. Except if you want to see a brainless action movie and you like dinosaurs. If that is the case, the movie 65 is your thing. The special effects are good, and together with the acting level of Adam Driver, that makes the movie watchable and enjoyable. The action scenes and directing themselves are also not that bad.
the problem I have with 65 is the lack of a decent and compelling story. This film is in my eyes very predictable. Conflicts and exciting moments are simply too often resolved with lucky cioncidences. You can easily compare the movie to the film A Quiet Place. Both are from the same writers, and that is noticeable.
You can see the trailer here:
