by Nigel Hicks
Worth: $14.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce
Intro:
… entertaining enough …
The Dogs Stars, Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic new movie, is visually beautiful but lacks attention to detail. Based on the 2012 book by Peter Heller, the story is set in 2035, where most of the population has been decimated by a virus years before. Strangers are not to be trusted, and cities are wastelands.
The opening scenes of exploring the remains of Denver with a big gun (and dog) is reminiscent of I Am Legend et al, but ultimately, this movie is less jump-scary, and less alienating. The enemies here are not mutants, but (oddly themed) gangs looking to steal resources. There is heart and connection but also mistrust and betrayal.
Jacob Elordi is Hig, a mechanic who flies his Cessna to gather supplies and supports a nearby Mennonite community. Much of the visual beauty of the film comes from these scenes in the Cessna, gracefully gliding past canyons and mountain ranges. The flying sequences are plentiful, and the scenery is stunning to absorb.
Hig is in mourning following the passing of his pregnant wife, who we see in a repeated flashback throughout. His character is aloof – presumably from his grief, sometimes he is hard to connect with, other times engaging.
Sharing a settlement with Hig is Bangley, played by the evergreen Josh Brolin. Bangley is gruff, paranoid, and trigger-happy (as he says, “shoot first then enquire”). His gung-ho philosophy clashes with the more compassionate Hig. He’s fun, but we know next to nothing about why Bangley is the way he is.
The ubiquitous Margaret Qualley plays Cima, a survivor living with her father. She is also in mourning, and despite her father’s initial misgivings about him, takes a shine to the handsome Hig.
Playing Cima’s father is a bearded Guy Pearce, who seems more robust than usual. In fact, all three male leads are in phenomenal physical shape – perhaps an indication of what it takes to survive in a post-apocalyptic world – or perhaps some idealisation by the filmmakers.
The music from Harry Gregson-Williams is subtle but flares at climactic moments, as is his style. There is a somewhat disappointing choice of song when Hig plays it to Cima on his music player, after she expresses remorse for missing music so much. It was a moment that could have been beautiful, heightening the romance but was just … underwhelming.
There are better movies by Ridley Scott, and worse ones. This one is entertaining enough, but just falters due to inconsistency and odd choices.
