[POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS] When I first saw the trailer for the movie Chaos Walking, starring Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland, I was intrigued. Definitely wanted to see it. The concept of something making it impossible to keep secrets by broadcasting your thoughts obviously opens the door for some interesting stories. Before I saw the movie, I checked out what the folks over at <RottenTomatoes.com> thought about it.
The aggregation of critic responses was summed up: “Chaos Walking sets out on a potentially interesting path, but this dystopian adventure badly bungles its premise and limps toward the finish.” As a result of the less-that-resounding critic response, the movie was given a 22% rating. But when you looked at what the audiences thought, you find it garnered a rating of 71%.
I’m telling you: the critics got it wrong. Was it a perfect movie? Absolutel not. Did it entertain me? Yes. There were spots that made me cringe, thinking, “Nah. That couldn’t happen.” There were spots that made me sit up on the edge of my seat in anticipation.
The summation of the critics said that it “limps toward the finish.” That is definitely where the critics got it wrong. The journey (the quest) was the best part of the movie. A young boy, the youngest in a town of all men, finds a crashed ship. Later he finds the only survivor, a young woman. His whole world is shattered. He has been led to believe that some war with the native inhabitants killed all the women.
His father sets him out to lead the woman to safety. Holland’s character Todd possesses a Huckleberry Finn aspect. There is even a journey on a river. He is an orphan. He is put up by a kind widow. He helps Viola escape, even thinking at first it might be wrong.
Viola saves Todd as much, if not more, than he protects her. She represents the truth for him. Through her, everything that has been hidden from him is revealed. I watch movies to be entertained. And Chaos Walking entertained me.
