The End of Oak Street - Dinosaurs!

SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE BELOW

The summer of blockbusters continues with The End of Oak Street. You wouldn't know it by how much it's made so far, but this movie? Pretty damn good, better than I was expecting it to be. Won't be my top five by year's end, but it's a fun time and should be seen in theaters.

The movie itself takes place in the early 80s...probably why I liked it. It felt like the 80s without forcing the references like in other movies and Stranger Things. I knew it was taking place in the past, it just took a minute for me realize the exact time period. The esthetic was very Spielberg. It felt big and felt like a blockbuster form the time when I was a kid...albiet just a bit bigger and better effects.

The plot is simple. A small neighborhood its transported one night from 1982 to the Jurassic era. The neighbors try to survive the onslaught of dinosaurs and apex predators. The movie focuses on a small family who are going through a tough time.

In a perfect example of show don't tell, you can see the strain the marriage between Denise (Anne Hathaway) and Greg (Ewan McGregor). From the block party to the petty arguments throughout, you just know things are getting to a tipping point and get worse when they can't keep it together in Jurrassic Oak Street. Greg wants to wait and see what happens, Audrey, ever the survivor, knows they need to go out and get supplies before they run out.

Anne Hathaway was one of the best things in this movie, one of her several standout performances this year. She had the Momma Bear energy trying to protect her cubs, but also a woman who felt trapped. They didn't give much backstory on that, but given the character in her book, she wanted to leave because a part of her was unhappy. She's torn between wanting to be the dutiful mom and being free to be the woman she wanted to be before she got married.

When Greg reads it, it doesn't really go over well. But he has a confession of his own, he's lost his job and has been working as a pizza delivery guy until he can find something new. Communication and understanding, it's important.

Ewan puts on a decent performance as the father figure. He's going through a tough time since losing his job and having to take a part-time job so he can provide to his family. He's afraid to tell his wife and kids because of how it might make them see him. Greg isn't decisive or the stalwart hero, he's meek and afraid to take a chance. Which might be, at the very least, one of the reasons why he's in the middle of marital troubles.

The kids, Audrey and Brian, befriend a new neighbor girl while on the hunt for their dog (and best dog in the whole world) Starbuck. Which doesn't make sense for a name since the chain didn't become popular until the 90s, but it's got wormholes, time travel and dinosaurs...not gonna nitpick that one.

It kicks into high gear the morning they wake up. When the neighborhood arrives, that morning you see the panic of people trying to drive away and get out. In the background, you see cars racing down the streets, screams and people calling out for help. It builds until you see the dinos start attacking people. The rest is them just trying not get killed.

The family works to survive, they even agree to take in Brian's crush, Jeannette whose parents were killed. As the residents dwindle down one by one becoming snacks for pteradactyls and an allosaurus. Though the youngest son, is a bit of an idiot. After knowing that all these creatures out there, ready to eat him and his family at a second's notice, young Brian notices Starbuck is missing and goes out ALONE?! Kid, I know its your dog, I know you love him. Believe me I get it, but it's not like sneaking out during a storm (which wouldn't be safe either). There are literal dinsaurs that will eat and kill you.

Now, that I will nitpick. It's there for the drama, for the suspense. He doesn't leave the house, nothing happens. Just the smart part of his brain was turned off going off alone. That is one of the few bugaboos I had in this movie.

Shining moments for Ewan's Greg...while searching for the kids, Greg and Denise get to witness two dinosaurs going at it, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. Denise takes a picture of Ewan posing in front. Then, the kids are in trouble and he risks his life to save them. It was that moment where you were hoping for a happy ending that was dashed.

They get away and get to the wormhole to get back to the present, but Greg is DinoChow. The portal pops in and out in intervals, and when Brian jumps, he misses it and falls. About to be attacked, he's rescued by his faithful dog Starbuck.

Best. Dog. Ever.

They make their way back to the roof and jump through the portal and go...

Had to

When the family arrives, they realize that they've arrived 20 minutes before thier neighborhood vanished. They get a second chance for a happy ending and they go for it.

Jeanette warns her parents. Saved.

Denise warns her nieghbors. Saved.

Denise orders a pizza to be delivered by Greg...Saved!

The future is bright for all the families and we get the super happy ending. Would it have been better if they had left Greg dead?

Maybe? The couple reconciled right before he died, so it would have been a little heartbreaking if he had stayed dead and they didn't get the chance to make their marriage work in this new timeline.

It's an end of the summer movie. It's larger than life, but it wasn't too big. The idea was intriguing. Having your entire neighborhood sent back to the age of dinosaurs isn't used all that often.

A family goes back in time...Land of the Lost.

Dinosaurs in the modern era...Jurrasic Park/World.

It blended the two. Has it be done before? Most likely, but that doesn't take away from the heart of the movie. It's about family trying to survive the new world and their problems. You felt for the family and understood why this relationship was estranged. You also wanted and hoped that they'd find their way back to each other through this fantastical journey.

Try to see this in theaters for the spectacle. Movies like this have a bigger, better feel when you see it on the big screen. The size and scope of the dinosaurs, the action. If not...give it a shot on streaming. The acting is great and the scenes are tense when they're in danger. It's an adventure that's out of its time.

4/5