Early reviews for Adam Driver’s latest sci-fi adventure, 65, have begun to roll in. Written and directed by filmmaking duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the screenwriters responsible for creating the hit creature feature A Quiet Place, 65 sees Driver assume the role of an astronaut from another planet who crash lands on Earth 65 million years in the past. Also joining Driver in this outing is young Avengers: Infinity War star Ariana Greenblatt, who also finds herself at the mercy of a prehistoric planet teeming with dangerous predators.
Critics have now begun to share their opinions on 65, and the consensus seems to indicate the film is a largely derivative and underwhelming affair. While many critics still praise Driver’s bona fides as an action hero and leading man, 65’s lackluster execution is ultimately accused of wasting a premise with gargantuan potential. Check out some of the comments from early reviews below:
Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
Perhaps if it had been truly tell-everyone-on-Twitter terrible, then maybe it would at least be remembered by the time it swiftly lands on plane movie rotation but 65 veers between fine and slightly less than, never quite bringing the fun we were expecting.
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
[W]hat could have been a perfectly viable B-picture back in the day now just seems rather low-rent compared with the sci-fi blockbusters of recent years. (After all, how are you gonna keep them down on the farm after they’ve seen Jurassic World?) Although 65 does boast the novelty of Driver blazing away at the dinos with cool high-tech weaponry, the sort that Jeff Goldblum would no doubt have appreciated having.
Todd Gilchrist, Variety
Given its title, it’s tough to know what details in “65” qualify as a surprise or “spoiler” — and anyway, the movie immediately tells you when and where it’s happening. What it doesn’t do, however, is tell you why it’s happening; other than its stardate, this is just another story about an overworked father neglecting his kid in the name of providing for her future.
Manuel Betancourt, AV Club
Aiming to be a gripping survival thriller, 65 rarely surprises. With only two characters to speak of, the stakes feel decidedly low. What 90-minute movie is actually going to dispense with either of its leads midway through its runtime? Thus, every new creature that attacks Mills and Koa becomes merely an exercise in cheap, weightless thrills.
Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle
Beck and Woods build suspense, inject terror and stage action proficiently enough, though not with the formal mastery Krasinski often displayed directing “A Quiet Place.” One of the producers of “65,” “Evil Dead” maestro Sam Raimi, seems to have influenced just the icky bug gags and over-the-top nature of the film’s climax.
It’s all done well enough to engage kids and guys who haven’t grown up. But it isn’t engaging, however, in anything like the iconic way Welch’s fur bikini was, in what feels like millions of years ago.
Carla Hay, Culture Mix
The sci-fi movie “65” might have had a major studio budget, but it’s a minor and embarrassing footnote in Adam Driver’s career. What was he thinking to sign up for this shoddy and idiotic mess of a movie? It’s a hodgepodge of ripoffs of much better films, such as “Jurassic Park,” “A Quiet Place” and “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”
Whang Yee Ling, The Straits Times
The narrative tone lacks consistency and urgency – and most curious is how the pair never need to eat. It is bananas even for a B-movie fantasy that conflates space and time travel.
What 65 Reviews Tell Us About The Movie
Despite his time in the Star Wars universe, Driver is perhaps best known for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers and for tackling far more unique fare than the typical box office drawcards. His participation in this latest film, however, sees him leave his nuanced roles behind in favor of portraying a more generic action hero. With a clear and simple premise, 65 should have been a perfect vehicle to deliver nail-biting action sequences and slick special effects.
Unfortunately, however, if the film’s early reviews are any indication, 65 falls well short of the expectations ignited by the film’s recent marketing campaign, including a Super Bowl trailer that was intentionally reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Alien. Though most critics still continue to praise Driver’s performance as a highlight, it would seem it was not enough to rescue the finished product from B-grade mediocrity. Several critics also pointed out that 65’s inevitable comparisons to the Jurassic World films would do no favors for a film with a noticeably lower budget and less experienced filmmakers behind the cameras.
Serving as Beck and Woods' directorial debut, 65 is not being described as a total disaster, but it is far from garnering the same kinds of praise the pair received for their work on A Quiet Place. Currently set to open this weekend against a more highly anticipated release, Scream 6, it will be interesting to see whether general audiences will support the film regardless of critics’ opinions.
Source: Various (see above)