Film Fans view ‘The Space Between Us’ as dull – Gwinnettdailypost.com

EDITORS NOTE: Film Fans features local residents reviewing the movie of the week: The Space Between Us. To be a film fan, email features@gwinnettdailypost.com.

Alfred Richner, Duluth

Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars

Pass: Mars colonization is a given, being the first-born human in Mars is an interesting proposition, this movie, as cheesy as you think it is, is a study of what makes us human even when you have grown inside a petri dish. I saw this movie through the eyes of Gardner Elliot as he comes to Earth to search for his Dad.

Fail: Very cheesy coming of age teenage romantic predictable sci-fi movie. Was it made for TV, maybe?

Standout performance

The main character Gardner Elliot, played by Asa Butterfield was believable, and his sidekick, love interest Tulsa (Britt Robertson), made the film a good early summer flick.

Gary Oldman played Nathaniel Shepherd and kind of mimicked the real life personas of Richard Branson/Elon Musk as the eccentric billionaire whose personal dream of colonizing Mars drove him to the secretive films only twist that closed the story neatly.

All others had secondary roles that didnt shine as much.

Who will like this?

Mild sci-fi fans and teenage romantic flick fans would enjoy a rainy evening watching this film.

See it now or wait?

This is a matinee/DVD/Groupon discounted ticket film. Wait until it shows in your Amazon or Netflix queue.

Overall impression

I liked the film and enjoyed the premise of naivete. Well made film of a simple story of an extraordinary child born in Mars visiting Earth for once in a lifetime, what is there not to like? Made you experience the simple pleasures of being human on Earth that you take for granted. The scene when Gardner experienced rain for the first time was joyful to watch.

Will this movie replace any of my never get tired movies I can see over and over? Not at all. Would I see it again with my grandchildren? Probably.

Tim Weekley, Suwanee

Rating: 1.5 out of 4 Stars

Pass: Nice special effect renditions of space travel; beautiful cinematography of the western U.S.

Fail: A story line that cant make up its mind whether to be a sci-fi tale or a romance; so-so acting; numerous continuity gaffes in content and direction as the movie progresses; much of the chase scene action makes no sense whatsoever; no real chemistry between the two teen leads; a lackluster ending.

Standout performance

No one really shines in The Space Between Us, although Britt Robertson (from the recent A Dogs Purpose) is decent as Tulsa, a teenager in foster care who carries on a pen-pal relationship with Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield, Hugo and Enders Game), the first human born on Mars. Butterfield is OK as Gardner, especially in his fish-out-of-water scenes on Earth which are mildly comical at times; trouble is, these moments are too few and far between. Gary Oldman tries WAY too hard and ends up chewing a lot of scenery as Nathaniel Shepherd, a Richard Branson-like figure who spearheads the Mars mission.

Who will like this?

Romance movie enthusiasts might like The Space Between Us, but will need to be very patient because the first 30-40 minutes of the flick are almost entirely devoted to telling the sci-fi tale of the first colony on Mars and the early life of Gardner. Sci-fi fans will be disappointed by the many dialogue and continuity errors throughout the film, and indication of lackluster direction and poor film editing.

See it now or wait?

If you must see The Space Between Us, wait until Redbox is running a two-for-one special on rentals later this year, or Netflix lets you watch it for free. Its not worth coughing up the bucks at your local movie house, and it certainly wont be around long enough in the cinemas to catch in first release.

Overall impression

The Space Between Us would have worked much better if the back story of Gardners life on Mars had been revealed during his time on Earth interacting with Tulsa; that way, it could have stood a fighting chance to be at least a halfway decent romance flick. Instead, what viewers get is a hybrid film that is half sci-fi, half-romance, resulting in a half-baked and very dull flick.

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Film Fans view 'The Space Between Us' as dull - Gwinnettdailypost.com