Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, by-the-numbers sci-fi/dinosaur movie has gory bits.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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65
What's the Story?
In 65, astronaut Mills (Adam Driver), from the planet Somaris, agrees to a two-year trip through space, since the increased pay will help cover his daughter's medical expenses. Unfortunately, while he's in cryosleep, the ship is pelted with asteroids and forced to make a crash landing. Only Mills and young Koa (Ariana Greenblatt) survive. But somehow, they've ended up on Earth, 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs roamed. Now they must hike 15 kilometers across a deadly landscape to find the only remaining escape pod. And there's another problem: The asteroid that hit their ship was only a small one.
Is It Any Good?
While this sci-fi/dinosaur movie is competently made, it really only has one good idea, and it doesn't do much with it. The rest is generic and familiar and fails to generate much suspense or emotion. The first thing viewers must accept in 65 is that there's another planet that has inhabitants who speak English and act just like Earth humans. After the crash, we get all the usual CGI dinosaur attacks and jump scares -- all very similar to what we've seen before in the many Jurassic Park/World movies. The screenplay -- following a beat-by-beat, three-act formula -- sets up all the elements it's going to use during the final payoff, and it's all noticeable because there's not much else to think about. But perhaps the oddest touch in this movie is the decision to have Koa speak a different language (she's from a different "district" than Mills). This leads to many scenes of Mills trying to force Koa to learn English words -- which she gamely does -- rather than him trying to understand what she's saying. It's all a bit of a drag, like Land of the Lost with the fun taken out. Ultimately, 65 leaves us feeling dino-sore.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about 65's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How does the movie handle the difference in the languages that the characters speak? How does the language barrier affect the story?
How does the movie deal with grief?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 10, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : May 2, 2023
- Cast : Adam Driver , Ariana Greenblatt , Chloe Coleman
- Directors : Scott Beck , Bryan Woods
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Sony Pictures , Columbia Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs )
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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