The End of Oak Street

Jeff’s take

This was a really good movie that has the distinction of being my first theatrical review. It is recommended for those people who are fans of the "Jurassic Park" franchise as this movie accurately portrays that franchise with its inclusion of dinosaurs. Being a fan of thriller movies, I was expecting a lot from this movie and it did deliver to some extent. Having said that, I've never been much of a fan of movies that portray situations in which the do or die scenario is present. I believe this would apply to movies such as this one that portray some sort of natural disaster. In other words, this is sort of a mixed review for me. It was definitely worth the time despite some jump scare scenes and graphic violence along with the feeling that this movie isn't for everyone. It's the type of movie that has you hanging on the edge of your seat as you are left to wonder how it will end and if anyone will survive and ultimately what was the cause of the main conflict. If I'm being completely honest, I don't like power outages as it is because it means I can't watch tv or use my computer ETC. However deep down I knew that it was just a failure and that all was not lost. From what I see, the characters in this movie had a lot more to be worried about than just not watching tv or being left without power in general. They had to fight for survival but survival was the one thing I had taken for granted when I lost power in the past. I knew I would survive. There was no prehistoric disaster which unleashed dinosaurs on an unsuspecting community like there was in this movie. This is another movie that makes me appreciate how good I have it even in what I consider to be the worst of times where all I have to worry about is losing it but knowing I'll get it back eventually without having to fend off unbeatable creatures known as dinosaurs. As I discussed in my review of "Analyze This," I appreciate movies that give me wake up calls to my overall outlook on situations where I might have to lose my tv for a while because of something I know will get fixed eventually. The characters in this movie had it much worse as far as I'm concerned.

In my mind, I think Jennifer Garner would have been a better choice for the role of the mother instead of Anne Hathaway. I don't know why this is. It just seems like she would have been a better fit for that role though I do believe that Anne Hathaway did a good job. Actually when I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought it was Jennifer Garner in the role. I think this was because I wasn't paying attention. Though I cannot give a solid reason as to why I believe she would have been a better choice, I think it's because I'm used to seeing her in roles where she plays a mother to at least one child who is in trouble for some reason, (I just described the plot of "Miracles From Heaven,") but even without a sick child present in the movie, I've grown accustomed to seeing her in roles as a mother. This is why it surprised me when she wasn't cast. Having said that, Anne Hathaway's performance was really good,

I have to give this movie a little bit of criticism as it is very emotional in some scenes. I know that this may fit with the theme of the movie being the end of the world where everybody is fighting for survival but when I find myself barely holding back tears, (which is something I never do as I'm good at keeping my emotions in check even during scenes that are emotional), it has to negatively impact the overall review to some extent. This movie was really good and I really enjoyed it but I have to be honest in saying that I nearly broke my cycle in never crying at certain points within this movie. For this to happen, it means it has to be very emotional to a point where it nearly causes me grief. Therefore, the final review of this movie is that it was a great one for those who are fans of horror movies and natural disaster movie but at the same time, the emotional scenes were just a little too much to ignore. Having said that, this movie is perfect in every other way and I would definitely recommend it!

Jeff O Meter final score: 8 out of 10.

What works

• Recommended for fans of the "Jurassic Park" franchise — it accurately portrays that franchise with its inclusion of dinosaurs.
• It has you hanging on the edge of your seat wondering how it will end and if anyone will survive.
• Anne Hathaway's performance was really good.

What to know before watching

• Jump scare scenes and graphic violence — this movie isn't for everyone.
• Some scenes are very emotional, enough that I was barely holding back tears.
• Not recommended for young children.