Review: The 5th Wave (Cinema)

It starts with a promising premise. The The 5th Wave trailer introduces Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz), a survivor struggling against the onslaught of “the Others.” Moretz, who demonstrated her capabilities in Kick-Ass, brings both comedic timing and a compelling rawness to the role. An alien spacecraft looms above Earth, initiating a series of devastating attacks. The initial waves involve global power outages, seismic activity, and catastrophic flooding, followed by the deployment of deadly viruses. With humanity significantly weakened, “the Others” infiltrate remaining human enclaves, aiming for internal destruction. This setup holds potential.

However, concerns arise as the cast is largely comprised of youthful characters who independently confront “the Others.” What could have been a reasonable science fiction narrative devolves into a predictable and excessively sentimental romance. When pronouncements such as “I didn’t believe in love until I met you” are delivered by sanctimonious 17-year-olds, even Chloë Grace Moretz’s acting prowess cannot salvage the situation.

Further detracting from the film are underwhelming performances by Liev Schreiber and Maria Bello, the latter portraying a stereotypical, hardened military figure. Ron Levingston, as Sullivan’s father, delivers his usual vacant stare, a characteristic that works well in comedic roles like in Office Space, but proves ineffective in a more “serious” context. By the end of the first act, the film’s adherence to cliché became overwhelming, and the plot unfolded precisely as anticipated. Had the filmmakers omitted the superfluous romantic subplot and the trope of the tough, rebellious girl vanquishing aliens, they might have produced a passable action film. Removing contrived scenes, such as the one where the younger brother, Sullivan, desires his teddy bear while on a departing bus, prompting the sister’s risky retrieval and subsequent separation, might have salvaged the entertainment value. However, such an outcome was not to be. The level of spectacle would likely have pleased Michael Bay. I left the cinema, regretting the two hours spent.