MINI-REVIEW: Maggie

MOVIE
Maggie

CAST
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Abigail Breslin

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
May 8, 2015 (LIMTIED/VOD)

DIRECTOR
Henry Hobson

STUDIO(S)
Lionsgate,
Roadside Attractions

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 35 minutes







STARS
***








REVIEW:

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most iconic movie stars of all time, hands down.  From "The Terminator" series to "Total Recall" to the "Conan the Barbarian" movies, Schwarzenegger has placed himself in the testosterone-filled hearts of every human being who has ever seen at least one of his films.  Being the macho action star he is, it would make sense that a film starring him in an apocalyptic world filled with zombies would be badass and a whole lot of gory fun, right?  Well, in this case we're all wrong.  In Henry Hobson's "Maggie," Schwarzenegger plays a man whose daughter, played by Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin, is slowly turning into a zombie due to getting bitten.  This causes daddy Arnold to take care of his daughter as she slowly turns into the carnivorous and mindless beasts who have become so popular within the past several decades.

The film itself plays out more as a family drama than a thriller, which may turn viewers away upon first glance.  The thought of Hollywood's most badass Austrian actually trying to act in a family-themed drama about coping with impending death is practically alien to most moviegoers.  Yet past all of that skeptical criticism is a surprisingly well-acted and well-constructed movie that, personally, I would recommend checking out.  Schwarzenegger surprisingly gives a believable and moving performance here, and Breslin's slow transformation into a zombie is really well done thanks to her work.  It's not a perfect movie, as some of it is boring and it would have been nice to have Schwarzenegger do what he does best, but all in all this is a solid family drama/thriller that I'd recommend checking out solely to see the iconic star go out of his comfort zone.