“I’m telling you. This is how people die in movies.” —Alex
Today’s quick review: Rim of the World. Alex (Jack Gore), Dariush (Benjamin Flores, Jr.), Zhenzhen (Miya Cech), and Gabriel (Alessio Scalzotto) are at a summer camp in southern California when the world is ravaged by an alien invasion. Obeying the wishes of a dying astronaut, the teens embark on a perilous journey to deliver a key containing vital data to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
Rim of the World is a sci-fi adventure about four teens on a mission to save the world. Hounded by an alien monster and surrounded by destruction, Alex, Dariush, Zhenzhen, and Gabriel have to muster their courage and travel the 70 miles to their destination. Rim of the World mixes teen humor with special effect-laden destruction. In spite of some rough spots with its story, it manages to be a fun watch.
Rim of the World’s greatest strength is its characters. Alex, Dariush, Zhenzhen, and Gabriel have vastly different personalities, but they balance each other nicely. Their bickering and pop culture references give the movie a steady source of humor, while they are just resourceful enough to face the challenges in front of them. Their characterization is missing some subtlety, but they provide a solid foundation for the movie to build on.
Still, Rim of the World is clumsy in places. The story works well enough, but it revisits the same ideas too many times. So while the journey has a fair amount of variety, the incidents begin to feel repetitive because they use the same tricks to get the kids in and out of trouble. The movie also has some tonal issues, mashing up the humor and levity of a family adventure with the high stakes and body count of something more mature.
The end result is something fun but not as polished as it could have been. Rim of the World is a fine pick if you’re in the mood for a comedy-laced adventure about four teens tossed into the deep end. Its characters are likable enough, its humor has a decent hit rate, and in spite of some holes in its logic, the plot covers the ground it needs to. Just don’t go in expecting the careful story and character work seen in some similar films.
For a sci-fi movie that pits a group of teens against alien invaders, try Super 8 or Attack the Block. For an alien invasion on a grander scale, try Independence Day. For one with a friendlier tone, try Home. For a family fantasy adventure about a boy facing his fears, try The Pagemaster.
[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8179388/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for good characters, a fair plot, and a few rough edges.