The End of Oak Street
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella
Genre: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks
As a bit of a nerd, it’s very frustrating to me when something happens in a film without any logic. That’s not to say there shouldn’t be mysteries in movies. Unknown story elements may also not ruin a plot. But if an American suburb is flashed back from 1982 to a dinosaur age with no explanation, if some people discover they can flash themselves back to 1982, and if everybody killed in the dinosaur age is then still alive in 1982 but those flashing back aren’t all duplicated, then nothing makes sense.
OK, admittedly I’m possibly overthinking The End of Oak Street. From a purely aesthetic and entertaining perspective it is quite impressive, with very realistic and latest understanding on what dinosaurs looked like and how they functioned. There were also many violent dinosaurs attacking and killing people to the extent that the film was almost R-rated.
But this barely compares to the Jurassic series which posed all sorts of questions about what humans shouldn’t do if or when they have the opportunities to engage with and grow dinosaurs. It also barely compares to other time travel films and series, many of which are more impressive, amusing or exciting such as The Terminator (1984), Donnie Darko (2001), Planet of the Apes (1968) and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989).
Apparently The End of Oak Street was set in 1982 to reflect the golden age of American cinema, scientific advancement and cultural evolution. Alas it doesn’t compare successfully to any of that. It’s Scienceless Fiction!
Rating: One time
