"The End of Oak Street": Dino fun and 1980s vibes
People from an apparent suburban idyll who suddenly have to deal with hungry dinosaurs instead of everyday life and relationship problems: "The End of Oak Street" is straight from the 80s – and not just in the film.
Don't worry: The following film review contains no spoilers. I won't reveal anything more than what is already known and visible in the trailers. «The End of Oak Street» will be in Swiss cinemas starting August 13th.
With «Jurassic Park» in 1993, Steven Spielberg once again made film history. My 16-year-old self's jaw dropped in the cinema much like Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill, may you rest in peace...) when they saw the first dinosaur. Many years and many «Jurassic Park» spin-offs later, prehistoric lizards in movies hardly amaze me anymore. The latest dino-flick «The End of Oak Street» doesn't change that either. Nevertheless, it is worth a look.
What it's about
We are in the year 1982. The Platt family is living the classic suburban dream on Oak Street. But beneath the idyllic surface, things are brewing: father Greg (Ewan McGregor) has lost his job and is trying to keep the family afloat as a pizza delivery driver. Mother Denise (Anne Hathaway) is increasingly struggling with her marriage. She finds fulfillment in a passion she keeps secret from the others. The children, Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery), are struggling with the problems that teenagers just have.
All of this is swept off the table when the entire Oak Street is inexplicably transported overnight to a completely different place and time. Suddenly, there are more annoying and, above all, much more dangerous neighbors than the previous Mel (P.J. Byrne): dinosaurs that are not at all averse to a human snack. To survive, the Platt family must pull together.
Source: Warner Bros. Ent.
In Spielberg's footsteps
With «The End of Oak Street», director and screenwriter David Robert Mitchell («It Follows») bows deeply to Steven Spielberg. Sure, like in his «Jurassic Park», there are dinos. But that's far from all. Rather, Mitchell works with elements that repeatedly appear in Spielberg's films from the 1980s or those of his production company Amblin Entertainment: suburbia, family, cohesion, adventure, and science fiction. «E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial», «Gremlins», «The Goonies», «Back to the Future» – you know what I mean.
The fact that another self-confessed Spielberg fanboy, J.J. Abrams, is acting as producer fits perfectly. After all, Abrams already brought an homage to Spielberg's early youth and sci-fi classics to the cinema in 2011 with «Super 8» (who also co-produced the film). Speaking of «Super 8»: The Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino («Up»), who contributed the soundtrack, also swung the conductor's baton for «The End of Oak Street».
The cast, with the two powerhouses Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, is also a safe bet. Hathaway, in particular, shows herself once again in top form: she screams, fights, cries, despairs, and picks herself up again. It is a real joy to watch her. McGregor acts a bit more passively, but that is due to his role. The other actors also do a good job, especially the teenagers. And the dinos? They are hungry, and that's a good thing.
Source: Warner Bros. Ent.
Deus ex Machina
The ingredients are right, everything is prepared to the finest detail. Nothing can go wrong there, especially since I grew up with the old Spielberg and Amblin films. Nevertheless, «The End of Oak Street» only moderately excites me. Of course, the film triggers my nostalgia center, but at the same time, it walks so much in the footsteps of the classics that it forgets to be something independent.
On top of that: My 49-year-old self looks at films differently than before. As a child, I didn't care – today I don't just accept completely unexpected script tricks and twists. "It is what it is" is no longer so simple; I expect explanations for actions, behavior, and events, even if they are half-baked. That doesn't mean I don't watch nonsense films like «Crank» anymore. Of course I still do! But those films don't pretend to be more than what they are.
And that is exactly where «The End of Oak Street» falls short for me. The film takes a lot of time for the initial situation. It introduces the Platt family neatly and outlines the problems of each individual member. An interesting starting point for some depth – which quickly dissipates with the appearance of the dinosaurs.
During the film, I thought that the dinos might be symbolic of the family dynamics, like the elephant in the room. Well. Or I'm too stupid to understand it. That's always possible. Either way, I think less exposition and more dino-action would have done the 99-minute film good.
Source: Warner Bros. Ent.
In a nutshell
Entertaining dino flick riding the wave of nostalgia
"The End of Oak Street" is well-crafted and features a convincing cast. It breathes the spirit of Spielberg and Amblin classics from the 80s, without quite reaching the level of its predecessors. It lacks a bit of heart and soul for that. Nevertheless, David Robert Mitchell has succeeded in making a film that is entertaining for long stretches.
Do you think dinosaurs always work in movies? Then, after a somewhat longer introduction, you'll get your money's worth. Prepare for some particularly hungry specimens – and one or two plot holes. Don't be like me and don't fall into them – at "The End of Oak Street".
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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