A dog of Ridley Scott movie with very few of them.
We have a list of post apocalyptic movies like the “Mad Max” movies, “Escape from New York,” the “28 Days Later” movies,” “Logan’s Run,” “I Am Legend,” any “Dawn of the Dead” movie, “The Midnight Sky,” and any “Planet of the Apes” movie. And Ridley Scott’s latest after the end of the world project “The Dog Stars” is the latest addition.
I guess we don’t always need zombies to constitute a post-apocalyptic movie; we need the reality of how people live in these dark times. It’s all based on trust, and I wouldn’t blame these people. “The Dog Stars” should acknowledge that, but it seems more interested in some exciting action sequences than a real examination on what the end of the world has brought to those who have survived.
The movie takes place in the year 2035, following the apocalypse regarding the flu wiping out a good portion of humanity. Those that did survive the virus either have their own oasis or are mindless savages that act like Comanche tribes or cannibals. In Colorado, the young mechanic Hig (Jacob Elordi) lives with his dog Jasper and the war vet Bangley, whose motto is basically “Kill first, ask questions later.”
He is also a pilot and takes his plane and dog to another town to get supplies: gas, glass Coke bottles, and some medical supplies. And even trading some cases of Sprite with a community of mennonites (with Benedict Wong in the mix) for some vegetables. Either that soda is still fresh or it has expired. I’d know if I read the expiration date or tasted it before doing so.
Haunted by his past regarding his dead wife and distraught by Jasper’s sudden death, Hig takes flight to what he believes is another oasis. And when his plane has to make an emergency landing, he comes across a rancher (Guy Pearce) and his medic daughter Cima (Margaret Qualley). At first, the old man doesn’t trust him, but you know how young daughters can change their dads’ tune a bit. And these two have a lot in common regarding their deceased spouses, as long as the movie doesn’t romanticize them for commercial appeal.
Then, a few more dangers lurk regarding different kinds of the dangerous people. Some people attack safe havens, and Allison Janney plays a leader who dresses like a 50s stewardess in the airport she runs. And this is when it gets too predictable, even though it has some exciting moments.
“The Dog Stars” is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel with the screenplay by Mark L. Smith, whose previous post-apocalyptic movie was “The Midnight Sky.” He doesn’t justify the story; he gives the characters details on what the end of the world has brought to them. The drama mostly hinges on Hig, whose past really affects him to the point of leaving the best he has at this point for something possibly worse. Elordi does what he can with his character, but he just presides over the dangers he finds himself in. The best moments regard Brolin, who is able to provide the wisecracks and attitude. Although at one point in the movie, he’s somehow able to cheat death. I won’t say how or wonder about the logic.
Scott is an ageless filmmaker with a strong range of films like “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Thelma & Louise,” “American Gangster,” “The Martian,” “The Last Duel,” and the “Gladiator” movies. Even greats have made bombs like “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” “House of Gucci,” and “The Counselor.” Unfortunately, “The Dog Stars” doesn’t rank with the giants, because it doesn’t have the kind of story or development to really resonate with his filmmaking trademarks.
Thinking back to Jasper’s death, this is the second movie I’ve seen this summer to have a doing either in peril or deceased. The first was “Supergirl,” which had Krypto the CGI dog being poisoned by the villains. And now we have a real dog in “The Dog Stars.” Either way, I think it’s depressing what a dog has to suffer from. And in this case, Jasper is barely thought of afterwards, and there is no message about the spirit he tries to give to Hig. Doggone it.
