alanjj Review of Chernobyl Diaries

Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

I can imagine myself doing the dopey things that the kids do in this film

[7/10 · 11 August 2013]

I TIVO'd this film not knowing what it was about--I thought it might be a drama set at the time of the Chernobyl meltdown. Instead, it was about a group of dopey American (and Australian) kids who wind up in Chernobyl as part of an "extreme tourism" jaunt. And I can easily imagine being one of those dopey kids, even though I'm a lot older. The film plays with viewers' excitement on doing things that are a little bit (but not too) dangerous, and a little bit (but not too) illegal. Needless to say, the little darlings get their comeuppance as the movie turns to horror. I'm not a fan of horror, and the outcome was rather disappointing, but until it got silly, I was riveted by this story.