It ends up playing it pretty safe, giving its audience a production that acts like it is risky, but ultimately isn’t close to being as bold as either of its two most obvious inspirations.

Director Gore Verbinski and writer Matthew Robinson are not afraid to go to some strange and dark places, shifting tones and trusting their viewers to keep up. It is wild, exciting and tremendously enjoyable. I sincerely hope it finds a big audience.

It is not a good movie, though it certainly isn’t the disaster I was expecting, either. It is about two-thirds of a serviceable thriller. That’s not bad for January.

It feels like every other PG-13 sci-fi/action blockbuster, with nothing all that interesting to distinguish it.

It is competently made, decently paced and has a handful of effective action sequences. In short, it is the definition of okay. It will probably give audiences what they expect, if not what they’re hoping for.

It is an enjoyable movie, entertaining and well-made. They can’t all be classics. Sometimes you just need something that is a pleasant use of an hour-and-a-half.

It isn’t a disaster by any means, but it is a tremendously disappointing mess.

It may never break through the genre ceiling to become something more, yet it is smart, exciting and funny. I had a good time with it.

Only a director of Francis Ford Coppola’s considerable ability could make something this disjointed and ridiculous so dull.

The two main performances are good, however, the script undermines them with one twist too many and a conclusion that falls flat.