Review of The Giver

The Giver (2014)
6/10
Not bad...needed more of a dramatic punch though.
26 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
For the most part, I liked "The Giver." There are some problems with it that really just makes it middle-of-the-road but those problems are never excruciatingly bad or even mildly irritating.

Visually, the film is a feast. I love the costumes and the set design really made for a believable utopian future that the story takes place in. I also love the way the film used grayscale and color to represent the level at which Jonas came to remember the world the way it was. The story is also very interesting and is filled with interesting characters. Finally, all those characters are played by very talented actors and the cast is excellent.

The only problem I had with the film was the fact the drama and emotion in the story lacks any weight to it and didn't have much of an impact. The story is still interesting and slightly engaging but I felt like there should have been a bigger punch to all the events of Jonas trying to change the established order. Maybe with a slightly longer running time the story could have been further developed to help this because, as it stands, the film feels like it moves too fast.

"The Giver" isn't terrible but it didn't live up to what it could have been. I still found the film entertaining and did enjoy it…it just wasn't what it could or should have been.
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