I went to see this at the cinema yesterday on opening day.
It's really, really good. Joel Courtney is excellent in the lead role of Joe and he's in virtually every scene, so he gets tons of screen time. The story is moving without being overly manipulative or sentimental. (Not saying it's the most subtle story in the world, but for a Hollywood movie, it's above average.) Even though there's a "monster" and sci-fi plot and tons of (impressive) special effects, the movie is very much grounded in the relationship between characters (both family and friendship).
The other youngsters in the supporting cast don't all live up to Joel Courney's fabulous performance. Riley Griffiths (
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Ryan Lee (
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The other boys are Gabriel Basso (
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All these actors must have been between 13 and 15 during film, so they're right on the edge of the age limit for inclusion on the database. Overall, though, this is a very good "boy movie," and will probably become a minor classic of the coming-of-age genre.
With his stunning debut performance, Joel Courtney is a revelation. Too bad he wasn't discovered earlier, but I hope he continues with his acting career. It could be a brilliant one.