Review of Annihilation (2018) by Billb3469 — 23 Feb 2018

I'm a casual movie goer and not a professional reviewer. Here are some of my thoughts.

Science: Refraction of a wave only alters it's direction through a medium. The idea that DNA would be combined with other surrounding DNA because of Refraction makes no sense. Science Grade F.

Logical Character Actions: The gov't has been trying to figure out the shimmer for 3 years. No one comes out alive. A. Why would the Army send in the wife of a KIA soldier?

B. Why didn't the Army send in a monkey in a cage for 1 second and then pull it out and test it? Then do it for 1 minute? Then 1 hour?

C. Electronic equipment doesn't work in the Shimmer. Ok, why not buy a Polaroid camera on ebay and get a long pole and push it in there and snap a few pictures and pull it out?

D. The expedition couldn't remember what happened the day before. Why not take out a notepad and pen and write down a log?

E. The 4 women that are on the expedition seem like poor choices for this Save the World mission.

F. Why did the Army use those Hi-8 video cameras for recording? If you can record on magnetic tape, you can record on a cell phone and bring a USB charger.

LOGICAL Grade: F.

Ok, so let's forget the Sci-Fi and the illogical plot. How were other aspects of the movie?

Script, Direction and Acting: Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh were a major reason I went to see the movie. How was it possible to make both monotone, unemotional, and boring? The script left them with boring conversation and thoughts. The director took almost all emotion out of them. Portman's husband was not developed enough for me to care about his character. I didn't know him to start, the gave me more info, but I never was invested in him.

One of the worst things about the movie is the end. After sitting through the entire movie, a little fire destroys the world threatening shimmer problem and saves mankind. That's the pay off that had me stand up and say "I've been fooled by the critics again, shame on me". It had me wondering why the Army hadn't previously shot a Rocket Propelled Grenade into the shimmer or a bomb. How fortunate that a forest fire didn't start and destroy the shimmer.

How fortunate nobody sent in was a smoker or started a camp fire.

The only thing the Army could figure out was to send in people who never came out. Then send in more people and more people. For THREE YEARS.

Script: Grade F.

Direction: Grade F.

Acting: Grade C.

OTHER: Various DNA combinations led to special effects that were very good and interesting.

OTHER grade: B.

Overall, I can't say it was a complete waste of time. However, I wish I would have chosen a different movie to see at the theater, eventually seen Annihilation at home and not spent $14 a ticket on it.

The more I think about it, I feel 1 star would be more appropriate than 2 stars. However, I'm not going to think about it.