“The 5th Wave” leaves little impact despite large following
New film The 5th Wave, starring Chloe Moretz, Matthew Zuk, and Gabriella Lopez, opens to less than mediocre reviews: “I saw it only because had Chloe Moretz, I usually love everything she’s in but it was so boring,” NC sophomore Brooke Phillips said. The film itself was adapted from Rick Yancey’s young-adult novel, the glossy if muddled The 5th Wave blends the alien-overlord airships of Independence Day with the natural-disaster effects of The Day After Tomorrow.
February 2, 2016
After much anticipation, The 5th Wave, a novel written by Rick Yancey, emerges as a theatrical film. Published in 2013, the novel stands as one of the most popular in young adult science fiction.
The plot follows 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan’s attempts to survive in a world devastated by waves of alien invasion. This gripping apocalyptic tale, the first of a trilogy, begins as aliens called “Others” hover and obliterate most of the Earth’s population in waves. As one of the planet’s last survivors, Cassie understandably trusts few on the planet, motivated by the hope of saving her 5-year-old brother Sam from a “training” camp established by the Others. Cassie and Ben Parish, her school crush, narrate a majority of the story, along with several supporting characters who offer different perspectives. The Waves, as exemplified by the title, terrify as planned attacks by the Others in their attempt to take over planet Earth.
The novel reminisces a rollercoaster ride with extreme highs and devastating lows. The film, on the other hand, fails to live up to hype presented by Rick Yancey.
“Nobody I know even watched the movie. I guess it was lame,” NC sophomore Donovan Herring said.
According to Box Office Mojo, The 5th Wave grossed only a domestic total of a mere $10 million, despite a $38 million production budget. One can attribute this failure to the less than applaudable cinematography by Enrique Chediak. Unfortunately, The 5th Wave joins a list of pointless “save the world” movies. The film feels like the offspring between Independence Day and Red Dawn, but without any redeeming qualities from the parents.
With The Hunger Games laid to rest, and both Maze Runner and the Divergent series following suit, The 5th Wave only manages to bring leftovers to the table in an already crowded party. With the concept already lacking in originality, the shoddy writing only adds to the incoherence and chaos. Additionally, spoon feeding the narrative dissolves what little mysteries remain, resulting in a telegraphed ending. This becomes even more disappointing with seasoned actors like Liev Schreiber and Maria Bello only taking roles of authoritative figures.
Not even the greatest actors in the world could save a film based around the absurd idea that only youth can save humanity from total annihilation. Viewers should not label The 5th Wave as a thriller if they wish to spend their time watching a quality movie.
The Chant’s Grade: D-
