I was really more happy with this than I expected. The trailer implied a very derivative story, and something about the tone suggested that it was going to take itself too seriously.
It's actually not bad. The acting and script is about what you would expect, but the story is engaging enough to keep your attention, and it doesn't make you cringe. It's actually pretty fun, even if some of the bits slow things down.
The movie has a massive, massive failing though, and it isn't clear until the end. Once we reach the last monologue to tie things up, and the heroine gives her call to arms... it's over.
This is the first act of a three-act story.
All of the problems that our heroes have are resolved very easily, usually by the next scene. They ID the bad guy? No problem, he's defeated in the next scene. They hear about a safe place for kids, but they aren't given the location? No problem, they decode the clue in the next scene, and reach the location in the next scene!
This is all to say that this is all setup with no payoff. If this were a TV miniseries, they could have done this. As a feature film, it's a terrible idea.
There are other problems. Lack of development of the main character, which should be an interesting thing, since she spent 6 years of her youth in a concentration camp. She has a lot to learn about the outside world and how to function, but that's just skipped over.
This had potential to be a solid YA franchise opportunity, but I've never seen a non-experimental movie that botched the "tell a story" part of the criteria.
It's actually not bad. The acting and script is about what you would expect, but the story is engaging enough to keep your attention, and it doesn't make you cringe. It's actually pretty fun, even if some of the bits slow things down.
The movie has a massive, massive failing though, and it isn't clear until the end. Once we reach the last monologue to tie things up, and the heroine gives her call to arms... it's over.
This is the first act of a three-act story.
All of the problems that our heroes have are resolved very easily, usually by the next scene. They ID the bad guy? No problem, he's defeated in the next scene. They hear about a safe place for kids, but they aren't given the location? No problem, they decode the clue in the next scene, and reach the location in the next scene!
This is all to say that this is all setup with no payoff. If this were a TV miniseries, they could have done this. As a feature film, it's a terrible idea.
There are other problems. Lack of development of the main character, which should be an interesting thing, since she spent 6 years of her youth in a concentration camp. She has a lot to learn about the outside world and how to function, but that's just skipped over.
This had potential to be a solid YA franchise opportunity, but I've never seen a non-experimental movie that botched the "tell a story" part of the criteria.