Movie Review: The End of Oak Street (2026)
Synopsis: Denise and Greg Platt live on Oak Street in Flowervale, MI with their two kids, Audrey and Brian and dog, Starbuck. Greg has secretly been laid off from work and is supplementing their income by delivering pizzas while Denise is secretly writing a novel about a woman who is unhappy and thinking about leaving her family and their kids can see their parents are on the verge of a divorce. Their problems need to be put on hold, however, when a powerful white light engulfs their neighborhood and it is transported to prehistoric times, forcing them and their neighbors to survive a wide assortment of deadly dinosaurs and other creatures.
Who's in it? The movie stars Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery and Jordan Alexa Davis.
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect when I first saw a trailer for The End of Oak Street. It looked intriguing but the preview also reminded me a bit too much of Land of the Lost and I wondered if the film would wind up being too goofy rather than entertaining.
My wife and I finally watched it last night and both agreed it exceeded expectations.
I think the thing that helps this movie most is the solid performances from its stars. Denise (Hathaway) and Greg (McGregor) were believable and likeable as a couple. They had their obvious issues, including keeping secrets from each other and disagreements over how to raise the kids. However, as the movie progressed, it was also easy to see they still cared for each other, making it easy to root for them.
While I did think the kids lacked the same amount of depth, they also managed to play their own role in the movie. Brian (Convery) was willing to put his life in danger for his dog while Audrey (Stella) was willing to do the same for her brother, so that was something that made them tolerable despite the beforementioned lack of depth. I especially liked how they got their hands dirty, fighting back rather than just being there for their parents to save.
The movie itself was a good mix of drama, action, suspense and even comedy. There were times when I wondered how they would manage to survive and more serious moments, such as the ugly fight Greg and Denise have, are balanced out by lighthearted moments, keeping the film entertaining while not allowing it to get too dark.
There were also quite a few surprises mixed in with what could have been a predictable film. This includes an unexpected death that seemed so unbelievable, I thought for sure it was a fakeout.
I was left a bit undecided about the ending. I didn't necessarily dislike it; I just thought it was a bit of a cop out that allowed the film to have a happier ending than it probably needed to have. Also, without getting into any spoilers, it was one of those endings that you have to force yourself not to think too much about or you'll question just how it was pulled off when there shouldn't have been anywhere near enough time.
Final Opinion: The ending probably could have used a bit more thought, but the overall film was one I enjoyed watching, both because of some great performances and a plot that just works.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies with dinosaurs:
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