Unveiling the Epic Fiasco: The Untold Story of 65 and Adam Driver's Battle with Dinosaurs

Highlights

Despite its exciting premise and high-concept potential, "65" failed to deliver as solid pulp entertainment, leaving audiences underwhelmed.

The performances of talented actors such as Adam Driver and Ariana Greenblatt were hindered by the underdeveloped character portrayal and lack of depth in the script. Additionally, the lack of experience from the directorial duo, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, led to a deficiency in creating tension, poorly executed set-pieces, and a missed opportunity to harness the film's potential for suspense.

With its captivating pitch of Adam Driver battling dinosaurs, how did 65 turn into such a disappointment? Despite its thrilling trailers, which showcased Kylo Ren's dramatic crash-landing on a prehistoric Earth and his intense encounter with bloodthirsty dinosaurs, 65 failed to live up to expectations. It was anticipated to be a mesmerizing fusion of Event Horizon and Jurassic Park, but instead it fell flat as a forgettable piece of pulp entertainment. It couldn't even measure up to the standard of a mediocre episode of Black Mirror. How could a film that seemed to have all the right ingredients end up being so terrible? How did such an intriguing high-concept premise result in such a lackluster and uninteresting movie?

65, set 65 million years in the past, takes place on the distant planet of Somaris, which strangely resembles Earth in almost every aspect. Its inhabitants are identical to humans and even speak English, with the only noticeable difference being the top of the mountains that curl. This lack of imaginative world-building is an early indication of the disappointment that awaits the audience. Driver portrays Mills, a pilot who is persuaded by his wife to embark on a two-year space expedition in order to save their daughter's life. However, their ship collides with the remains of a gigantic asteroid, causing a crash-landing on a dinosaur-infested Earth. Mills and the sole survivor of the crash, a young girl named Koa, must race against time to reach their escape shuttle before the same asteroid that brought them to Earth strikes and wipes out all the dinosaurs.

Koa, portrayed by the breakout star of 2023, Ariana Greenblatt, showcases her talent. Greenblatt's versatility can be seen in her portrayal of Sasha, the snarky yet kind-hearted teenager in Barbie, as well as her portrayal of young Ahsoka Tano in the Clone Wars flashback sequences in Ahsoka. Greenblatt, much like Driver, deserves stronger material. However, 65 falls short primarily due to its underdeveloped character depiction. By the time Mills finds himself stranded on Earth and contemplates suicide, the movie fails to establish a connection with the audience. Although the opening scene reveals Mills as a loving husband and father, this characteristic alone is not enough to distinguish him from other action movie protagonists. Throughout the film, Mills is haunted by visions of his daughter, but unfortunately, these visions merely serve as a shallow attempt at character development rather than offering any substance.

Greenblatt has demonstrated her ability to bring depth and humanity to well-written characters in Barbie and Ahsoka. However, in the case of Koa, the character is written in a simplistic manner, akin to that of a toddler with limited vocabulary. This missed opportunity could have showcased the actor's non-verbal communication skills, but the one-dimensional script fails to provide her with anything substantial to convey. While Driver and Greenblatt possess individual acting talent and on-screen chemistry, the potential for a great Lone Wolf and Cub duo is squandered by the weak script and uninspired direction. What could have been an immersive experience akin to Aliens or The Last of Us with dinosaurs ultimately falls flat, leaving only a hollow and empty feeling.

The writing and directing team behind 65, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, had previously shown promise with their unique and well-constructed script for the semi-silent sci-fi thriller A Quiet Place. However, their direction of 65 is marred by sloppy execution. Even if they had crafted a tremendous script, their lackluster direction would have rendered it ineffective. Had they enlisted John Krasinski as the director for 65, there would have been a sense of tension and a stronger focus on performance. Krasinski's adeptness at inspiring deeper performances from actors such as Driver and Greenblatt would have allowed for the development of a more genuine dynamic between them.

While Beck and Woods have directed their own scripts in the past, such as the found-footage film Nightlight in 2014 and the slasher Haunt in 2019, their foray into a big-budget production with a major studio and established actors in 65 is lacking the directorial finesse needed for an action-adventure blockbuster. Unfortunately, when the dinosaurs appear on screen and the heroes are supposed to be in peril, Beck and Woods fail to create any sense of tension. In comparison, Steven Spielberg managed to evoke more fear and suspense with a mere cup of water than Beck and Woods do throughout their entire movie. Furthermore, the potential for thrilling set-pieces is squandered due to unsteady camerawork and disjointed editing. The moment Mills begins wielding his futuristic laser gun, capable of obliterating dinosaurs with a single shot, the film devolves into a mindless game reminiscent of Space Invaders, with Mills effortlessly eliminating legions of raptors.

Lastly, a major hindrance to 65 reaching its full potential was its PG-13 rating. While some horror films like A Quiet Place have successfully terrified audiences within this rating, they achieved this through significant stakes and suspense, elements that 65 lacks. The movie could have compensated for its weaknesses by incorporating traditional R-rated gore, but its PG-13 rating results in scenes where dinosaurs nonchalantly bite into Adam Driver's legs without any blood, rendering them entirely ineffectual.