Endangered Species movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: Endangered Species

(Not to be confused with the 2006 Robert Urich movie by the same name.)

Available on May 28, 2021 in select theaters and on Video on Demand.

Also available on DVD and Blu-ray on June 1.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 41 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Lionsgate presents a gritty survival thriller that features a wealthy American family on a fun African safari in Kenya. Sounds nice, right? It is until a rhinoceros attacks their vehicle and they’re left stranded miles from help, desperately struggling for survival in a world where they are at the bottom of the food chain. Their dream vacation turns into a vicious nightmare. Now, none of that is a big spoiler in my review…that’s what the trailer shows you.

What the trailer doesn’t show you is a ton of action, beautiful landscapes, and wild animals. The movie is directed by M. J. Bassett, who wrote the script with her daughter, Isabel Bassett, who also stars in the movie as the teenage daughter, Zoe. The last time they teamed up together, they created Rogue. You can see my movie review of Rogue by clicking here. Both films take an environmental approach and plead for the protection of wildlife.

Thank you to Lionsgate for providing me with an advanced screener!

THINGS I LIKED:

Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell star in the movie and are a married couple in real life! This isn’t the first time they have worked together on a film. They also starred in a 2017 film called Love Locks. They’ve been married since 2007 and have twin daughters. (Fun fact: I’m a twin too!)
The cast also includes Michael Johnston and Chris Fisher.
We get to see some beautiful cinematography and landscapes of Kenya.
The action thriller was filmed at the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.
The family references survival ideas from the TV show Naked and Afraid XL: Season 1 [DVD + Digital], a survival series also produced by Lionsgate.
There’s a lot of tense moments as you wonder who is going to survive.
Hyenas really do sound like they’re laughing. Creepy!
There’s a lovely soundtrack.
At the end of the movie, some text fills the screen and we’re told that thousands of rhinos and elephants are killed for their horns and ivory every year. It’s a letter written by the director, MJ Bassett to inform the audience and thank those who work each day to prevent the brutal slaughter of animals to provide humans with useless trinkets. My personal message is that if we all stop buying products made out of those items, the poaching market would quickly disappear. Those animals need those precious body parts way more than we do. I appreciate the fact that MJ Bassett always tries to teach a message in her films.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s sooo frustrating to watch stupid people make terrible decisions.
It’s embarrassing to see how the spoiled Americans whine that the van isn’t a Mercedes with air conditioning and grapple with the need for WiFi in the resort. The dad comments about how much everything is costing to represent where their focus is as they arrive in Africa, a third-world country.
Some teenagers get high on a plant they find that has hallucinogenic properties.
Zoe supposedly breaks her leg but then spends the rest of the movie walking around fine.
I thought it was funny that everyone in the family hassled the dad because he wanted to bring plastic water bottles and they wanted glass because it’s better for the environment. Of course, the glass bottles break when the rhino attacks their van and they’re left without any water. Well, maybe that was a spoiler but it does make a case for the times when plastic bottles are actually appropriate.
Some of the animals look super fake CGI. Others look very real and probably are.
The movie poster makes the movie look super cheap.
There are some really bad acting moments.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This movie is really not appropriate for children and deserves its R rating.
Drug and alcohol use.
The mom has Diabetes and needs to take insulin shots. You might need to explain that to kids.
Profanity, inappropriate jokes, and F-bombs.
Talk of an oil pipeline spill.
Talk of a homosexual teen relationship.
You see some wounds with lots of blood.
You see someone get mauled and bloodied by an animal.
You see a bloodied, dead animal.
You see poachers and their deadly actions
Several people throw up
Some torture of animals and humans

THEMES:

Environmentalism
Working together
Parenting
Family
Nature
The value of life
Forgiveness
Sacrifice for the greater good

FUNNY LINES:

“Our big 5 finds their big 5!” – Jack Halsey (Philip Winchester)
“Giant animal with a spike on its face. What could possibly go wrong?” – Billy (Chris Fisher)
“We both have the exact same experience being lost in Africa. You know that, right?” – Zoe (