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The 5th Wave (TheaterByte Movie Review)

5thWaveWith the immense popularity of film series like The Hunger Games and Divergent, young andĀ powerful female characters attainedĀ the forefront of futuristic moviesĀ and gripped the attention of huge audiences. The 5th Wave takes its storyline from Rick Yanceyā€™s critically acclaimed novel and stars a vulnerable young woman, unexpectedly thrust into a daunting new worldĀ that challenges her coping and survival skills.

Set in Middle America, in this case Dayton, Ohio, The 5th Wave opens with its teenage heroine, Cassiopeia ā€œCassieā€ Sullivan (ChloĆ« Grace Moretz) armed with an assault rifle whenĀ sheĀ findsĀ a a wounded man (Matthew Zuk) in an abandoned gas station. When the manĀ begins to pullĀ a gleaming metal object out of his jacket, she believes it is a weaponĀ Ā (it is actually a crucifix) and blows him away. The film then the-5th-wave-still-2returnsĀ to the beginning of Cassie’s story. She is aĀ typical high school studentĀ whoĀ makes aĀ prophetic Ā statementĀ ā€œI didn’t know it then but this was last normal day of my life.ā€ AĀ huge spacecraft suddenly appears overheadĀ (shades of Independence Day!). Ten days later, the alien assault or 1st Wave deliversĀ a ginormous electromagnetic pulse knockingĀ out all of Earth’sĀ power. The aliens (who have yet to be seen) become known simply as “the Others.” A second and third waveĀ appear: Ā tsunamis destroy all of the world’s islands and coastlinesĀ followed byĀ an avian influenzaĀ pandemic that wipes out most of our planet’sĀ population.

After her mother Lisa (Maggie Siff) succumbs to the flu, Cassie, her little brother Sam (Zachary Arthur), and the-5th-wave-still-1their father Oliver (Ron Livingston) find a refugee camp. The 4th Wave arrives in the guise of a Ā Colonel Vosch’s (Liev Schreiber) military unit. Sam and Cassie get separated during the transport of the children ostensibly to safety but actuallyĀ to a military baseĀ where Vosch and Sergeant Reznik (Maria Bello) are training squadsĀ of young warriors.Ā Ā Cassie searches for SamĀ but when she is wounded byĀ a sniper, Evan Walker (Alex Roe) takes her to his houseĀ to recover.Ā Evan eventually reveals the dark truths about himself, Vosch’s soldiers, and the impending 5th Wave. Ā Cassie eventually reconnects withĀ Sam and the survivingĀ members ofĀ Squad 53 includingĀ her former high school heartthrobĀ Ben Parish/Zombie (Nick Robinson) and street-smart kick-ass Ringer (Maika Monroe).Ā Will Cassie and company save the world or is humanity doomed? Ā SuchĀ questions hover over the remainder of this film like the Others’ huge spacecraft did at its beginning.

English director J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) gives a nice account ofĀ Ā Susannah Grantā€™s (Erin the-5th-wave-still-3Brockovich, 28 Days) Ā adaptation of Yanceyā€™s book. Dialog is terseĀ butĀ after allĀ most of it belongs to adolescents. The 5th Wave is most definitely an action-driven sci-fi thriller justĀ on a smaller scale thanĀ The Hunger Games or Divergent. The Ā plot twists may often seem familiarĀ toĀ those whoĀ have seen manyĀ save-the-world from-the-aliens movies but withĀ Henry Jackmanā€™s (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) pulsating original score and Enrique Chediakā€™s (The Maze Runner) excitingĀ cinematography, we get a veryĀ compelling watch.

[youtube httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmxLybfGNC4&w=670&h=377]

Many post-apocalyptic flicksĀ are heavily laden with CGI special effects. Ā The 5th Wave has such effects, butĀ these are mostly relegated to the opening minutes,with occasional traces in the fight and alien discovery scenes,Ā  leaving the rest of the movie to rely on its script, direction and acting. On the strength of these three elements,Ā this film surmountsĀ many of its current YA competitors. The youthful cast, particularly the edgyĀ Monroe and the almost too likable Robinson, creates credible teens who must deal with their extraordinary circumstances. Top honorsĀ goĀ to the film-carrying performance ofĀ ChloĆ« Grace Moretz as sheĀ transitionsĀ from love-struck texting teenager to battle-hardened fighter. Yanceyā€™s original novel was the first of a trilogy, and based on what The 5th Wave delivered, I am looking forward to the next cinematic installment whenever it appears.

The 5th Wave (TheaterByte Movie Review)
3.5 / 5 TheaterByte Rating
{{ reviewsOverall }} / 5 Users (0 votes)
Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures EntertainmentStudios & Distributors
PG-13 (or violence and destruction, some sci-fi thematic elements, language and brief teen partying.)Rating Certificate
USACountry
EnglishLanguage
112 Mins.Run Time
2.35:1Aspect Ratio
J BlakesonDirector
Susannah GrantWriter
22 Jan. 2016 (USA)Release Date
The Film
Summary
A pulse-pounding, tautly paced sci-fi film of a post-apocalytpic Earth and the youngsters who suddenly must come to its defense against the evil aliens bent on the extermination of the human race.
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