If You Loved the Silly Book, Enjoy!

Rating: 3/10 (23 April 2015)

Bad writing is bad writing and the screenplay has even more flaws than the novel. It's a mystery how that was accomplished. A film based on a very overrated book can sometimes be an improvement on the source material. That's not the case here. This is a pretty pedestrian space opera with juvenile lead Asa Butterfield giving what must be the performance of his lifetime, which is sad when you think about it. Don't let yourself think too much about that or anything else regarding this movie, though. The story doesn't allow for thought. He actually is most likely doing the best he can and it's clearly a monumental effort. The director seems to be trying as hard as he can as well. At least to please the fan boys. Because no one else is going to admire much of what's in this third rate movie. However, no movie is a complete disaster when it offers the chance to see Harrison Ford aging before your very eyes and another opportunity to ask, "what the heck is Ben Kingsley doing in this mess?"