Come one come all and get your early look at doomsday preppers. See them as they shun civilization. See them as they rant about society. See them as they shoot their guns all day everyday.
"The Survivors" circuitously worked its way around to what it really wanted to cover: anti-society survivalists. The movie started with two regular guys who both became unemployed in different manners. When they were both the heroes of a failed robbery attempt it sent them on two divergent paths. Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau) shrugged off the matter and went on with life as usual. Donald Quinelle (Robin Williams), clearly more affected by the robbery, left his fiancé and joined a group of preppers in Vermont.
The movie was really a tale of two halves. The first half was funny, strong, and had limitless potential. There was one funny situation after another in the beginning: Don being fired, the unemployment office, and even the robbery. The second half was slower, preachier, and somewhat aimless. Like the writer knew how to introduce us to this tucked away society of preppers but didn't know how to gracefully exit. So, we got a ham-fisted scenario with the professional hitman/robber going to Vermont to kill Sonny and Don, Don meeting him mano-e-mano, then the both of them fleeing the camp arm in arm. The movie clumsily pivoted from one point to the next.
In the end, the message was that the Sirens of the end of civilization are just looking to capitalize on people's fears and insecurities. It's a very viable message though the delivery could use some touching up. I think that most doomsday proselytizers truly believe what they preach, and I also believe-like with anything-there are those who just want to make a dollar on someone else's fears. This movie swam in the waters of the latter even if it swam with the grace of a mud guppy.
"The Survivors" circuitously worked its way around to what it really wanted to cover: anti-society survivalists. The movie started with two regular guys who both became unemployed in different manners. When they were both the heroes of a failed robbery attempt it sent them on two divergent paths. Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau) shrugged off the matter and went on with life as usual. Donald Quinelle (Robin Williams), clearly more affected by the robbery, left his fiancé and joined a group of preppers in Vermont.
The movie was really a tale of two halves. The first half was funny, strong, and had limitless potential. There was one funny situation after another in the beginning: Don being fired, the unemployment office, and even the robbery. The second half was slower, preachier, and somewhat aimless. Like the writer knew how to introduce us to this tucked away society of preppers but didn't know how to gracefully exit. So, we got a ham-fisted scenario with the professional hitman/robber going to Vermont to kill Sonny and Don, Don meeting him mano-e-mano, then the both of them fleeing the camp arm in arm. The movie clumsily pivoted from one point to the next.
In the end, the message was that the Sirens of the end of civilization are just looking to capitalize on people's fears and insecurities. It's a very viable message though the delivery could use some touching up. I think that most doomsday proselytizers truly believe what they preach, and I also believe-like with anything-there are those who just want to make a dollar on someone else's fears. This movie swam in the waters of the latter even if it swam with the grace of a mud guppy.