The 5th Wave

What would happen if Earth were invaded by extraterrestrials? In the 1st wave, they'd switch off the planet's electrical power: an onerous precursor to further disasters, particularly for technology-dependent teenagers. In the 2nd wave, there'd be a Biblical deluge, with tsunamis triggered by earthquakes. The 3rd wave is an avian flu fatal to humans, followed by the 4th wave of an infestation of alien body-snatchers. In the 5th wave, the strange craft belonging to the visitors—who are called the Others—hovers overhead with plans to wipe out the human race and repopulate the planet. Ohio high schooler Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz), her younger brother Sam (Zackary Arthur), and her boyfriend Ben Parish (Nick Robinson) are among those affected, as tidal waves smash Miami, and London's Tower Bridge comes falling down. Giving her a gun, Cassie's father (Ron Livingston) advises, “Nowhere is safe anymore.” That becomes evident when suburban parents load their kids on buses to be taken to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, deemed a secure location by Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber), and Cassie becomes separated from Sam. Saved from an enemy sniper by Evan Walker (Alex Roe), Cassie is, nevertheless, suspicious of her mysterious benefactor. Ineptly adapted from the 2013 first book of Rick Yancey's YA trilogy, this shallow and confusing film from director J. Blakeson is aimed at adolescent fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent, but it's a dystopian disappointment. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director J Blakeson and star Chloë Grace Moretz, the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Inside The 5th Wave” (14 min.) and “Sammy on the Set” (7 min.), a gag reel (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (25 min.), the production segments “Creating a New World” (6 min.), “Training Squad 53” (5 min.), and “The 5th Wave Survival Guide” (2 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing adaptation.] (S. Granger)