Idris Elba is one of the most charismatic and compelling actors working today, and even he couldn't elevate Beast past its eye-rolling, superficial script. A movie with such a promising premise, unfortunately, falls flat, despite solid performances, great visual effects and beautiful cinematography.
Set far in the depths of the South African bush, Dr. Nate Samuels (Elba) has taken his teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries), on vacation to where he met their recently deceased mother. They make their way to a game reserve managed by an old family friend, Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), who was also responsible for connecting Nate and his late wife.
Martin takes the family on safari, showing them various animals in their natural habitat, including a pride of lions he has been acquainted with since the males were cubs. The group travels to a small village whose residents have all been brutally killed. Martin identifies a lion as the perpetrator given the wounds on the villagers, but is perplexed at the situation. None of the villagers have been eaten, only attacked, unusual for a lion. Most alarming, there are no signs of hyenas, alerting Martin to the fact that the predator is still in the vicinity.
The group quickly attempts to return back to Martin's house, but after crashing their SUV, they find themselves trapped and helpless in the lion's territory. Not before long, the bloodthirsty lion finds them and begins stalking the group. As evening falls, the group does everything in their power to survive until rescuers are able to come to their aid.
It's worth stating that no actual lions were used during filming. All lions that came into contact with a human were created through a mix of CGI and performance capture; quite frankly, it's pretty amazing that this was the case. The visual effects in Beast are stunning. There is a genuine realism to the lions in both their appearance and movement. The final showdown between Elba and the lion is thrilling and choreographed really well, striking a balance between precision and animalistic grit. Add in the gorgeous captures of the vast South African savanna, Beast is a visually rich film that is a treat to see on the big screen.
The biggest failing of Baltasar Kormákur's film is its script. The dialogue is heavy on exposition (which is curious given how moving and meticulous the visuals are) and chock-full of trite and inane conversation (the number of times Meredith and Norah ask if their dad is okay warrants a drinking game). Typically a bad script in a film like Beast can be excused; surely we're all here to watch Idris Elba kick some feline ass. But in this case, the thrills just aren't visceral enough to rise above fumbling exchanges and a sheer lack of substance in the story.
Elba does the best he can with what he's given and injects some humour and presence that's sorely needed. His chemistry with Halley and Jeffries is excellent, and the two young actresses are great in spite of being saddled with the role of stubborn teenagers who make unrealistically foolish decisions. The most under-served actor of the cast, though, is without a doubt Copley. While the focus is on the Samuels family and their dynamic, the role of Martin is nevertheless important to the story. However, the character is written as merely a device to get the Samuels family into their predicament and nothing more.
The lack of care Martin is given becomes even more egregious when a truly captivating theme about poaching and anti-poachers is revealed. The cruel and disgusting nature of poaching is raised throughout the film, and is even used as a plot point that creates a new perspective of the story's predator, giving attention to a serious issue relevant to Africa as a whole.
Unfortunately, though, Kormákur doesn't push this discussion enough and we don't feel the full power of the story. Instead, he splits the film's focus with the Samuels' familial conflict, which is also not given enough strength to create a heartfelt conclusion.
Beast has the bones to be an engrossing addition to the human vs. beast genre. There's a strong leading actor who has proven many times over he can carry a film, standout filmmaking that highlights the unvarnished appeal of South Africa and a topical theme that audiences can get behind. Perhaps the priority of Beast was on the visual side of things, but even with that aspect succeeding, it isn't enough to overcome unremarkable storytelling.
(Universal)Set far in the depths of the South African bush, Dr. Nate Samuels (Elba) has taken his teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries), on vacation to where he met their recently deceased mother. They make their way to a game reserve managed by an old family friend, Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), who was also responsible for connecting Nate and his late wife.
Martin takes the family on safari, showing them various animals in their natural habitat, including a pride of lions he has been acquainted with since the males were cubs. The group travels to a small village whose residents have all been brutally killed. Martin identifies a lion as the perpetrator given the wounds on the villagers, but is perplexed at the situation. None of the villagers have been eaten, only attacked, unusual for a lion. Most alarming, there are no signs of hyenas, alerting Martin to the fact that the predator is still in the vicinity.
The group quickly attempts to return back to Martin's house, but after crashing their SUV, they find themselves trapped and helpless in the lion's territory. Not before long, the bloodthirsty lion finds them and begins stalking the group. As evening falls, the group does everything in their power to survive until rescuers are able to come to their aid.
It's worth stating that no actual lions were used during filming. All lions that came into contact with a human were created through a mix of CGI and performance capture; quite frankly, it's pretty amazing that this was the case. The visual effects in Beast are stunning. There is a genuine realism to the lions in both their appearance and movement. The final showdown between Elba and the lion is thrilling and choreographed really well, striking a balance between precision and animalistic grit. Add in the gorgeous captures of the vast South African savanna, Beast is a visually rich film that is a treat to see on the big screen.
The biggest failing of Baltasar Kormákur's film is its script. The dialogue is heavy on exposition (which is curious given how moving and meticulous the visuals are) and chock-full of trite and inane conversation (the number of times Meredith and Norah ask if their dad is okay warrants a drinking game). Typically a bad script in a film like Beast can be excused; surely we're all here to watch Idris Elba kick some feline ass. But in this case, the thrills just aren't visceral enough to rise above fumbling exchanges and a sheer lack of substance in the story.
Elba does the best he can with what he's given and injects some humour and presence that's sorely needed. His chemistry with Halley and Jeffries is excellent, and the two young actresses are great in spite of being saddled with the role of stubborn teenagers who make unrealistically foolish decisions. The most under-served actor of the cast, though, is without a doubt Copley. While the focus is on the Samuels family and their dynamic, the role of Martin is nevertheless important to the story. However, the character is written as merely a device to get the Samuels family into their predicament and nothing more.
The lack of care Martin is given becomes even more egregious when a truly captivating theme about poaching and anti-poachers is revealed. The cruel and disgusting nature of poaching is raised throughout the film, and is even used as a plot point that creates a new perspective of the story's predator, giving attention to a serious issue relevant to Africa as a whole.
Unfortunately, though, Kormákur doesn't push this discussion enough and we don't feel the full power of the story. Instead, he splits the film's focus with the Samuels' familial conflict, which is also not given enough strength to create a heartfelt conclusion.
Beast has the bones to be an engrossing addition to the human vs. beast genre. There's a strong leading actor who has proven many times over he can carry a film, standout filmmaking that highlights the unvarnished appeal of South Africa and a topical theme that audiences can get behind. Perhaps the priority of Beast was on the visual side of things, but even with that aspect succeeding, it isn't enough to overcome unremarkable storytelling.