AVS Discussions
Movie and TV Discussion => Movie reviews => Topic started by: David Vaughn on November 03, 2026, 06:36:49 PM
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(https://i.imgur.com/p0dxgzB.jpeg)
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: November 3, 2026
Rating: PG-13
Film: 2.5/5
Plot
After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.
My Thoughts
The film is set in 1982 and follows the Platt family as they navigate the struggles of everyday suburban life. Denise (Anne Hathaway) has secret dreams of becoming a writer, while Greg (Ewan McGregor) hides his own secret that weighs on the entire family. Their two children know something is amiss but when a cosmic event suddenly transports the entire neighborhood into a prehistoric world populated by dinosaurs and other deadly creatures, surviving is the only thing that matters.
First off, I love 80s nostalgia as much as the next guy who grew of age during the era, and on paper, this should have been a movie that my wife and I could easily connect with—and we did for the first act. It does a good job establishing the Platt family and their struggles, but once the “event” happens, subplots from the first act are mostly discarded and the movie really struggles to find its footing. Is it a family drama? A sci-fi mystery? A horror film? An 80s throwback? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be “all of the above” and none of the elements are developed enough to leave much of an impact.
Hathaway and McGregor are both solid, and there are a few sequences that are really well done with the prehistoric creatures, but those moments are few and far between. Writer/Director David Robert Mitchell is a competent filmmaker and does a good job of the technical aspects of the film, but the script is paper thin and has so many elements borrowed from other films that it really fails to create its own unique identity.
While I found the film somewhat lacking, the 4k UHD presentation was excellent. Warner’s transfer takes full advantage of HDR and the 1980s suburbia featured in the opening act is warm and inviting with vibrant colors that make Oak Steet look and feel authentic. The encode really shines when the film transitions to the prehistoric setting and the palette expanded with lush greens, dense jungle, and the creature effects from ILM are outstanding.
The Dolby Atmos track alone makes this worth at least one viewing. From the first cosmic event to the various dinosaur encounters, the mix remains active, immersive, and highly engaging. Bass response is excellent with dinosaur footsteps, collapsing structures, and action sequences that really open up the soundstage. Environmental effects such as rain, creature movements, and panning effects put every speaker in the room to good use and this is the type of presentation that can be used to demo for friends and family.
Video 9/10
Audio 10/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features:
- Banding Together: The Making of The End of Oak Street
- Every Creature Tells a story: The Dinosaurs of Oak Street
- The Spinosaurus Atack: Driving Feat on Oak Street
- UHD Blu-ray + Digital Code
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oB9AxspVow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oB9AxspVow)
Conclusion
This isn’t a bad movie, per se, but it’s ultimately a disappointing one. It has an interesting premise and enough visual stimulation to keep it entertaining, but it never really delivers the goods. The nostalgia of the time period doesn’t really add much to the overall story and the film struggles to find its footing after the first 30 minutes or so. The presentation almost makes up for the screenplay’s shortcomings, but the only reason to own this disc is to use some of the action scenes in your demo reel.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(I utilized Portrait Displays' (https://www.portrait.com/) Calman color calibration software)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Zidoo UHD8000 Media Player
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
Mini DSP HD
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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Thanks for the review, David. I've got the 4K reserved from our library, so I'll keep expectations low.
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Thanks for the review, David. I've got the 4K reserved from our library, so I'll keep expectations low.
No problem. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it.