Cook review: ’65’ is raptor-ous fun

A raptor-ously wrought adventure that defies genre, “65” is part sci-fi tale, part actioner, part thriller, and all fun.

Elements of directors/screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods longtime affinity for themes of sacrifice, family, and their love for silent movies are here, just as they were in “A Quiet Place.”

The premise is fairly simple. Adam Driver is Mills, who must leave on an exploration space mission. He doesn’t want to leave his family, but his daughter Nevine (Chloe Coleman, “Avatar: The Way of Water”) is ill, and the extra pay will help pay for her treatments.

The action starts almost immediately after he bids farewell to his family and ends up he knows not where. Except one thing’s for certain: He’s a long way from home, and he’s surrounded by carnivorous dinosaurs.

Then there’s Koa (Ariana Greenblatt, “Avengers: Infinity War,”) a girl Mills finds. Not only are they beset by danger at every turn, but they also have a problem almost bigger than the reptiles that surround them: They speak different languages. So much of their communication is achieved through signs and monosyllables.

Through it all, Mills is determined to get Koa home while he fights off the dinos. Koa and Mills discover they might have more in common than they thought while they are forced to use their wits together.

The two humans are rarely still, so the action takes only a quick breather now and then. The actors share a nice onscreen chemistry, which is necessary for this to work.

The finale is clever, uplifting and satisfying. This is a solid, well-directed popcorn movie that may have a few elements that hearken to “Star Wars” (including Driver himself) and “Jurassic Park,” but never is it derivative.

Set out on your own adventure to the theater, and you’ll probably find “65” more reasons to enjoy this.

3 stars

Rated: PG-13 for gore and adult themes.

Running time: One hour and 33 minutes.

At Cinemark, Davenport; Regal, Moline; and Palms 10, Muscatine.

Watch the trailer here.