This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
The Good Old Days
Gone To the Dogs
Plot Overview
Part time mechanic Hig (Jacob Elordi) was living
his ideal life on the outskirts of Denver circa 2045. He had
time to kiss his wife, play with his dog, and enjoy his modest
digs. A pandemic hit hard at women of child-bearing age, and
dogs don't live that long anyway even without the dangers
of a wilding world. He now shares a fortified survivalist
encampment with ex-Marine Bangley (Josh Brolin) settled in
with “power, food, water, weapons, and a defensible
perimeter.” What more could a body want? However, the
normality of this world is compromised as seen by its worthless
currency when they play cards. Hig keeps his eye out for better
options when he periodically flies his Cessna into deserted
Denver for supplies.
A scavenger (“roach”) at
the derelict Denver Athletic Club warns him of an emerging gang
calling themselves the Reapers. He picks up several cases of
Coke to distribute to a secluded Mennonite village on his way back.
Even this group lacks normalcy inasmuch as it consists of but one
man-jack, several matronly women, and a gaggle of giggling chidden
aged five or six. Evidently when it was discovered that young women
were especially vulnerable to this flu, they all had them babies
right quick and then they died leaving a baby boom behind. Oh, well.
An emergency landing brings Hig into
contact with ex-Navy SEAL Pops (Guy Pearce) and his medically
trained daughter Cima (Margaret Qualley.) They enlist their donkey
to help him clear a makeshift runway for takeoff. He plays sorely
missed music for Cima on his device. He & Cima gaze at the stars, all
that remain unchanged. They share grief over lost loved ones.
In Hig's quest for normalcy and in
their need to escape gang violence (“a total
sh!t show,”) they all respond to an enigmatic
radio call from Grand Junction. Their welcoming committee would
seem to an ordinary Joe altogether too normal, but how
would they look to these normalcy-starved refugees?
Ideology
It's up for grabs how a hard-put romance will turn out for the featured couple, but that's nothing new. (Prov. 30:18-19) “There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.” The writer of this proverb juxtaposed three hard-to-track movements with romantic intrigues: a soaring eagle, a slithering snake, and a tossed-about ship. TDS employs images from the same three venues to prepare the viewer for unanticipated love machinations. “The way of an eagle in the air” corresponds to the light plane that comes down slow but hard. Hig falls hard for the pretty nurse but he takes his time doing it.
“The way of a serpent upon a rock” corresponds to a thundering herd of buffalo; there's no holding them back. Likewise, it's a force of nature between a man and a woman, of which nothing may stand in their way.
“The way of a ship in the
midst of the sea” corresponds to a fishing expedition
Hig goes on to a pristine lake. He hooks a big one right away but
the line breaks when the dog jumps in to give chase. He gets
competition upon a goofy fellow's surprise marriage proposal to
Cima, but it's a nonstarter when Hig's buddies intervene.
Production Values
“” is named after a constellation of stars that appear in the northern sky at the end of summer when this movie takes place. The movie is Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson's big screen adaptation of the book, The Dog Star by Peter Heller. It was directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Guy Pearce. The leads play their parts perfectly, and there aren't many secondary parts in the movie or elsewhere. The motorcycle/pony gang seemed authentic as did the Mennonites. The mistress of ceremonies Darlene (Allison Janney) decked out passé as a stewardess was downright frightening in a friendly fashion.
MPA rated it R for strong violence, and language. It
is run-of-the-mill, post-apocalyptic fare powered by solar panels
as needed. The drama involves a handful of characters & a dog.
The plane was cool. Runtime ≈ 2 hours.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
The Mennonites though not fully developed provided an anchor in religion & family. The good book was not quoted except once by the devil. Stragglers were treated as roaches at times. Survivors had to protect themselves with arms unless they weren't openly exposed to an ugly world. The story fits nicely into a movie framework including enough background to make sense of it. It worked well in its end-of-the-world genre.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action at times. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Good Date Movie. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
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