Eden (2014)

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This film begins on fine footing, we're introduced to all of the characters and all of the requisite personality types are present for this type of story. It continues a little predictably but I was still with it. Then all of a sudden, and with no signs of it coming, all of the characters suddenly turn hyper-paranoid and aggressive. There's no gradual progression down this path which would make it plausible and engaging, but very abruptly so that it's not only unrealistic but makes the viewer feel insulted that the director would actually expect us to accept this. In addition, it enforces negative gender stereotypes - the men are all aggressive hot-heads and the women are passive observers of the random barbarism of their male counterparts. This film really is a mess and honestly feels like a waste of resources and talent.

Plot loses its way. Underdeveloped. Two male leads do a good job with a less than compelling script. (I only watched this because I thought it was the movie with the same name from 2013 starring Beau Bridges but I was wrong!)

Started off reasonably well although I think the airplane crash scene could have been longer and more interesting.Up until the point they find the Japanese soldier all was proceeding well, then it all just went to pot. Lord of the Flies this most definitely isnt!The illogical actions that no one would do if abandoned on a desert island in the middle of nowhere and the poor story just weakened the whole premise and the ending well....SANDS OF THE KALAHARI - I guess the director had just watched that classic and thought he would throw that ending in lolCould have been good but like most of the films I am watching over the last few years, they just dont seem to have decent story writers and cannot sustain the pace that a good film needs to keep audiences involved.

This review is not so much a spoiler, but it points out just how awful people can be to each other when under pressure. It really did remind me of Lord of the Flies in many ways because things went tits up quick, fast, and in a hurry. Considering the events took place over a little more than ten days, the characters didn't take long to show their true colors and true hearts. I was surprised that the island they were on had very little edible vegetation or natural water sources. I was also surprised that there were no organized search parties to explore the island to see what resources were potentially available to the group. I found the movie predictable, but entertaining. I didn't learn any life lessons or was left with a "feel good" feeling, but it did keep me interested for the duration.