A dying woman and her unlike friend get trapped in New York City when alien monsters invade the Earth and tear it to pieces.
Flawed, yet a great addition to the franchise. The first act has it all: A relatable heroine who carries already more pain than we can possibly imagine, a world-scale invasion by monsters we could not even fathom existed, human extinction, and their hope dying with it. It is the first day of the world’s end, as they knew it… where mankind is not on top of the food chain anymore.
What are they? Where did they come from? What do they want? How many are there? Does the army have a plan? Even better, does the army stand a chance? All these and more are questions you, as viewers, expect the film to address, not for you because you know (well, kind of), but for the film’s heroes. You know the damage the creatures are about to do, so the remaining questions are: who will make it and how?
The film has several strong suits, such as its story and the pace and rhythm as it unfolds. But that is up to the first half of the second act. While the story still holds strong, the pace and rhythm slow down exponentially. I can see why that can be considered a negative for mass audiences, but for me, the brilliant acting of Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn compensate and maintain the interest.
John Krasinski still wears the producer’s hat, but Michael Bay also put a lot from his pocket as a co-producer. What is not really surprising, though, is the director, Michael Sarnoski, who was personally hand-picked by Krasinski for his work in Pig (2021) – https://kaygazpro.com/pig-2021-drama-thriller/. Now, try and compare Pig to Day One. There is nothing to compare. Totally different films, different styles, different all of it. That somehow might make sense for the producers, but for the audience, what is the point of hiring someone you know and loved their previous unique work who will do something that could have been done by anyone else? Regardless of what I think, Day One is a great addition to the franchise, but Krasinski should be very careful as to where he wants to go with that universe now because there is a lack of connection among the films.
Imagine that alien invasion as a possible scenario. Then imagine us losing the war. Then imagine those hordes of people on the streets fleeing for their survival like kettles. And then imagine that our world is about to end… because we will not be in it… even though the Earth will keep spinning.
P.S. Djimon Hounsou needs to be in more films and more screen time.
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
Stay safe!
