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David Robert Mitchell has put in his time watching Steven Spielberg movies, and it shows in his latest movie, "The End of Oak Street." This movie captures many of the beats one might expect from a 1980s Spielberg blockbuster, but it falls short by giving us well-performed yet ultimately flat characters.
Greg (Ewan McGregor) and Denise Platt (Anne Hathaway) live in a nice suburban neighborhood with their two kids, Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery). On the surface, everything seems fine, but digging a little bit reveals a widening gap between Greg and Denise. Just as they appear to be nearing the end of their marriage, a portal opens up, transporting their entire neighborhood into the middle of a prehistoric jungle. Now the Platts need to not only survive their emotional difficulties, but also literal dinosaurs.
You're not going to want to think too hard about the plot devices used in "The End of Oak Street." This movie demands that you suspend disbelief and then maybe suspend it just a little bit more. And honestly, if you're able to do that, this is a relatively fun dinosaur movie, certainly better than every "Jurassic" movie that has come out since the original "Jurassic Park" film in 1993. Nevertheless, I felt like I barely knew any of the characters. Why does Brian carry a bow and arrow? Why does Audrey risk her life to listen to Steve Winwood's "Valerie"? Where does the discontent between Greg and Denise come from? We don't know, and that makes it hard to care when they are facing peril.
Even though the characters are very thinly drawn, the performances are solid, particularly from McGregor and Hathaway. There is nothing quite like watching Anne Hathaway shoot a T-Rex in the face with a shotgun, and then seeing Ewan McGregor smash it in the face with a sledgehammer. They play everything quite seriously, but it is clear that they are having a good time with both the 1982 aesthetic and the absurdity of the situation they're in.
But we are here for the dinosaurs, and that aspect of "The End of Oak Street" does not disappoint. The film is rated PG-13, and it leans into the 13 side in both the violence and another scene that will amuse some and horrify others. Mitchell creates great tension in some of the early scenes, which helps the 99-minute runtime maintain a pretty decent pace until things start to get a little repetitive by the third act. Nevertheless, the dinos are varied, brutal, and fast. Also, if you enjoy split diopter shots, get ready for a feast, because DP Mike Gioulakis delivers plenty of them.
Spielberg has a style that people try to capture over and over again. Mitchell definitely has the stylistic pastiche down in "The End of Oak Street." But there is always more to Spielberg's work than just the look. He is also able to write characters who we care about, so when they are in danger, it matters. Half of the equation still makes for an entertaining experience, but it will keep this film from having any lasting cultural impact.
Alise Chaffins is a freelance and Tomatometer-approved film critic.