In a post-apocalyptic future, water has become the most precious resource in the world and people do what they can to survive.   Ernest Hom (Michael Shannon) is tired of fighting off water raiders from his land which he believes is still fertile if it gets water.  He makes a supply run to the hardened men building the water pipeline, but soon he gets betrayed by Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult) which kicks off a cycle of greed, murder, and revenge.   Flem wants Ernest’s land and Holm’s daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) while Ernest Holm’s son Jerome is caught in the middle.

 

YOUNG ONES is a highly visualized sci-fi Western that writer/ director Jack Paltrow paints a very hard and dusty future world.   It is split into three chapters (Ernest Holm, Flem Lever, Jerome Holm).   Sometimes, the movie is a little slow and yet the characters are so developed to make you hate some and care for others.   When the Holm family loses their pack animal, they have to get a robotic pack vehicle for carrying supplies over rough terrain and it is the big catalyst that sets off the cycle of betrayal, murder, greed, and revenge.   Michael Shannon brings to life Ernest Holm as a father who is trying to get by and provide for his family’s future while he knows Flem is no good for Mary an he tries to do his best to have her stay away (he even nails her window shut in one scene) from Flem who covets everything that Ernest has.   I think water is more precious commodity than oil and YOUNG ONES is like a slow burn western revenge tale that will appeal to fans of the Western genre (and maybe even those who enjoy Shakespeare).

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only extra is storyboard comparisons for six scenes in the film: Water Bandits, Hospital Visit, “You Failed Us”, “You’re a Dead Man, Holm”, and Robot Auction.  Too bad this DVD didn’t include the theatrical trailers and even some featurettes on the making of this movie.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:   YOUNG ONES is an interesting sci-fi Western revenge tale that will appeal to Western and Shakespeare fans, but you do have to be wary of how slow the movie moves at times.  I do wish they included more extras on how the movie was made.

 

This review is ©1-14-2015 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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