Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The 5th Wave
2016
**
Director: J Blakeson
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Ron Livingston, Nick Robinson, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, Zackary Arthur, Liev Schreiber

One day, the aliens arrive and begin to wipe out the human race with devastating force. Children are to play a key role in the final fifth wave of attacks. Cassie Sullivan is a regular high school kid who must suddenly fend for herself and protect her little brother Sam. This romantic teen dystopia is based on the first book in Rick Yancey's trilogy, but, in all honesty, it could have been written by a committee. The story takes elements from The Hunger Games, Twilight, The Host, and any other recent work in this genre, although this is one of the least threatening post-apocalyptic worlds I've seen on screen. The fact that the aliens are known as the Others pretty much sums up the story's originality. The first 30 minutes, when the aliens ravage the Earth with electromagnetic pulses, earthquakes and tsunamis, are actually quite gripping, but then the movie becomes increasingly formulaic and tiresome, leading to an ending that is a baffling mess.