THE END OF OAK STREET

Yes, if you enjoy sci-fi and dinosaur action movies, this one offers numerous scary moments featuring dinosaurs that chase, attack, or eat humans. The movie weaves comedy through every chase and close call. Amid the chaos, it emphasizes that family sticks together, even when dinosaurs don't. Redemption and sacrifice drive the story, though blood and violence pave the way there.

Anne Hathaway anchors the film as Denise Platt, carrying the story with her strong acting. Ewan McGregor's Greg Platt, in contrast, barely scratches the surface. Maisy Stella and Christian Convery capably portray their roles as daughter Audrey and son Brian, though the script limits them to the basics.

The cinematography captures the look and feel of a 1982 Detroit suburb down to the last detail. However, the score struggles to find its identity, sometimes veering from jarring to simply distracting. Parents should note foul language and a main character who reaches for whiskey when pressure builds. The breakfast scene lacks subtlety, giving "Fruit Loops" more screen time than some cast members. Overall, this movie pushes its PG-13 rating to its limits, so don't let the rating mislead you.

The Platts, who live in a 1982 Detroit suburb, face struggles. Daughter Audrey can't afford to attend a private school. Bullies torment son Brian. Father Greg doesn't tell his wife he lost his full-time job, and now delivers pizza. Mother and wife, Denise, secretly writes a novel in her basement that defines her desire to escape her life.

An unusual, strong blinding light in the night strikes the Platt's neighborhood, and their lives will change in ways they could never imagine. Together, the Platt family must discover what just happened to their neighborhood. The movie nicely places hints of change to their world, which build to their discovery that carnivorous dinosaurs now roam the streets.

Three stars means this one has real strengths but doesn't fully come together. An action-packed movie bursting with scary moments of dinosaurs that hunger naturally and therefore feast upon humans. Comedy sneaks in at just the right moments. Once scene has Denise take a picture of mating dinosaurs with Greg posing in their foreground. To fight the dinosaurs, Denise has a shotgun while Greg carries a sledge hammer, Audrey uses a pocket knife, and Brian his bow and arrows.

A few scenes stretch believability past the breaking point, like when the family walks though the neighborhood and remains totally clueless to a carnivorous who follows only steps behind them, and when a large bus stop digital clock informs the Platt family that they have travelled through time. A 1982 digital clock at a bus stop? Greg and Denise run for their lives past a family who remains totally oblivious to the imminent dangers that surround them. Fruit Loops obviously serves as product placement when it stares into your face in a few scenes.

During the chaos of threats this new world brings, as people strive to survive the imminent threat of the dinosaurs, a bully suddenly and unexpectedly attacks Brian. These kids stand out on the lawn where they could easily become someone's next meal. Don't these young kids have any awareness or fear of these creatures who loom around every corner?

The cinematography captures the look and feel of a 1982 suburb. The score, meanwhile, doesn't always know when to stay quiet, swelling into moments that steal focus from the action instead of framing it. For a project with J.J. Abrams behind the camera as producer, the final result never quite reaches the heights his name usually promises.

A pro-family worldview anchors this story. Despite the Platt family's dysfunction, the parents fight to keep their children safe and discover how to treasure and love one another. The children hear their parents fight and sense the threat of divorce, but a life-threatening experience brings them closer and keeps their family intact.

The movie touches on biblical themes. As danger closes in, Greg tells everyone not to worry because God's got them covered. His wife rolls her eyes and the claim doesn't sit well with Jeannette or Audrey, both of whom flat-out say they don't beleiev in God, Catholic school attendance for Jeannette notwithstanding. Curious, Greg asks what praying out loud at school actually feels like for her. Her answer surprises him: prayer isn't something you need a stage or a permission slip for. Anyone, anywhere, can pray silently, and it's nobody's business but their own. Meanwhile, the film's sci-fi backbone leans pagan, built around notions of rippling cosmic forces and slipping through time.

Beyond that, the movie includes foul language, strong violence, hints of a same-sex teen romance, and a stressed-out Greg takes a shot of whiskey. This movie definitely presents a mixed bag. Surviving dinosaurs proves easier than agreeing on what to believe.

A solid dinosaur action movie that includes moderate foul languages, no sex or drugs, one display of whiskey drinking used as an escape, and a weak husband and wife relationship that grows strong in the end. The movie's storyline, characters, and music show more weaknesses than strengths, apart from the realistic looking CGI dinosaurs. The action never lets up, delivering plenty of teeth-bared chases and near-misses to keep the suspense alive. Adults and discerning older teens can handle the thrills fine, but children, tweens, and sensitive adults should sit this one out.