Review of Annihilation (2018) by Christopher L — 07 Mar 2018

(WARNING: INCLUDES SPOILERS) THIS MOVIE WAS FAIRLY BAD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LAST TWENTY MINUTES, WHICH IS VISUALLY IMAGINATIVE (ESPECIALLY THE MIRRORING IDEA). WITH THAT SAID, I OFTEN FOUND MYSELF CRINGING, BORED, STRUGGLING TO BUY INTO THE CHARACTERS BACKSTORIES OR STRUGGLING TO FOLLOW THE WORLD'S / FILM'S LOGIC.

WHY WOULD A WOMAN WHO IS AN EXPERT IN CELLULAR BIOLOGY WALK INTO A POTENTIALLY LETHAL ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT A HAZMAT SUIT? WHY SEND A GROUP COMPRISED OF ENTIRELY WOMEN, WHERE BIGGER STRONGER MORE EXPERIENCED MALE SOLDIERS FAILED TO GET OUT SAFELY, UNLESS AT LEAST A FEW OF THE WOMEN HAVE A BACKSTORY THAT INCLUDED SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES THAT WOULD ESTABLISH THEM AS EQUAL OR SUPERIOR SOLDERS OR WOULD MAKE THEM MORE SIGNIFICANTLY LIKELY TO SURVIVE IN THE ENVIRONMENT (UNLESS THEY WERE THE ONLY OPTIONS LEFT - WHICH THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THEY WERE)? WHY ARE THE WOMEN WALKING INTO THE SHIMMER? GUNS WORK IN THE SHIMMER, WHICH ARE MECHANICAL, SO WHY NOT A CAR? OR A HELICOPTER? WHY DIDN'T THE TEAM GO INTO THE SHIMMER WHEN THE EDGE WAS MUCH CLOSER TO THE LIGHTHOUSE? WHY IS THE WATER CLEAR IN THE BOTTLE ON THE BASE IN THE SHIMMER IF IT'S BEEN SITTING THERE FOR MONTHS (OR POSSIBLY OVER A YEAR) WHILE A MOSS LIKE SUBSTANCE SEEMS TO BE GROWING ON EVERYTHING AND EVERYWHERE ELSE? AT THE END OF THE MOVIE WE DISCOVER THINGS ABOUT HER HUSBAND THAT MAKE US QUESTION WHY HE WAS THROWING UP / SICK IN THE BEGINNING? I'M JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE HERE. THERE WERE HOLES EVERYWHERE IN THE PLOT.

NEXT, THE ACTORS WERE OFTEN DISCONNECTED FROM EACH OTHER. NATALIE PORTMAN IS A GREAT ACTRESS, THIS IS THE WORST PERFORMANCE I CAN REMEMBER EVER SEEING HER GIVE, AND IT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE OF DIRECTING ISSUES. IN ESSENTIAL SCENES SHE'S NOT CONNECTED TO THE OTHER ACTORS. IN MULTIPLE SCENES I THOUGHT, "IF I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT HOW OR WHERE I (OR THE OTHER PERSON) WOULD STAND, MOVE, OR HOW I WOULD REACT VERBALLY OR NON-VERBALLY.

SO MUCH OF THIS MOVIE AND THE SCRIPT FEELS FORCED AND POORLY THOUGHT OUT. IT'S DONE TO BE DONE, NOT BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE WITHIN THE WORLD OF THE FILM. THE MAIN CHARACTERS HAVE TO GO TO THE LIGHTHOUSE BECAUSE THEY NEEDED SOMEWHERE TO GO TO MAKE THE MOVIE WORK. THE WOMEN WENT INTO THE SHIMMER WITHOUT HAZMAT SUITS SO THERE WOULD BE MORE CHALLENGES / WAYS FOR THEIR BODIES TO BE PHYSICALLY AFFECTED BY THE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE SHIMMER. IT'S ALL WOMEN LEADS BECAUSE SOMEONE WANTED TO MAKE A MOVIE WITH AN ALL FEMALE CAST (I DON'T MIND THIS, JUST RATIONALIZE IT - WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THESE PEOPLE AND NO-ONE ELSE? - THEY ALL HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE, FEEL GUILTY FOR SOMETHING, OR HAVE A BACKGROUND IN SCIENCE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH). WITHOUT GIVING TOO MUCH AWAY, NATALIE PORTMAN'S REASON FOR GOING INTO THE SHIMMER WASN'T DEVELOPED ENOUGH TO MAKE ME THINK THAT SHE SHOULD GO IN.

I'M SUPER DISAPPOINTED, IF IT WASN'T FOR THE "BEAR SCENES AND POST BEAR SCENES" WHICH GOT AN EMOTIONAL REACTION FROM ME BECAUSE THEY WERE JARRING, OR THE CLIMAX SCENES BECAUSE THEY WERE DIFFERENT THAN THINGS I'VE SEEN IN OTHER SCIFI ALIEN MOVIES, AND THEY GOT MY IMAGINATION GOING, I WOULD ARGUE THIS IS THE WORST MOVIE THAT I'VE SEEN SINCE NINJA TURTLES, AND THAT'S THE ONLY MOVIE I'VE EVER WALKED OUT OF A THEATER BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS UNWATCHABLE.