In August 30, 2016, the Maximum Ride movie came out. Didn't hear about it? Neither did I, until my awesome roommate told me. For those of you who don't know, Maximum Ride is a character in a book series by James Patterson. This book series is made of eight books (That's more than Harry Potter!) about a "family" of human-avian hybrids. James Patterson did a phenomenal job with those books and I wish I could say that the movie did justice to the first book. If I did say that, I'd be lying. What I am about to tell you will not only spoil the movie, but also the books. That was your warning, please do not continue this article if there is any chance that you want to see this movie or read the books. I think James Patterson gave a better warning in his first book.
"Warning If you dare to read this story, you become part of the Experiment. I know that sounds a little mysterious but it's all I can say right now.
Max"
James Patterson, The Angel Experiment
1. The Budget
The budget is one of the biggest problems with this movie. If the budget was bigger they could've accomplished more, had better effects, and could've afforded better actors. I don't know the exact budget, but in the first 5 minutes of the movie, you can tell it is lacking. This story is about bird kids who fly, yet you only see two of the children fly and they don't fly very much throughout the movie. This film didn't even hit theaters, it just went straight to the internet.
2. The Acting
The acting in this movie could've been a lot better, especially when it comes to Zayne Emory. Emory played Iggy, who is supposed to be blind. No one would know that Iggy was blind if they hadn't said it twice in the movie. Lyliana Wray also could've been better if she worked on not seeming creepy.
3. The Plot
The plot was extremely different from the book. Nudge didn't go with Max and Fang to find Angel, no one would know watching this that Iggy enjoys bombs as well as Gazzy, the cookie scene with Jeb makes NO sense what so ever, and there is no explanation of what is going on in the beginning. After seeing this movie, if I was James Patterson, I would be appalled.
4. The Clothing
The clothing was one of the very few things that I liked. Max's wardrobe was loose, comfy, but cute, which is exactly how I pictured Max would look. I expected Fang and Nudge's wardrobe to be a little different, but they still looked great.
5. Characterization
The characterization of these amazing characters, I believe is off by a long shot. Max is supposed to be presented as a cool leader and all I got was a bossy teenager. Fang was supposed to be darker, broodier, and quieter. I felt like Fang was more of the comic relief that tends to fall into Gazzy or Iggy's categories. Nudge was more of a pessimistic teenager in the movie and in the book she is bubbly and talkative. Angel was a sweet, well angel, in the book. In the movie, she is a silent, stoic child who has approx. 2-3 lines. Also, the relationship between Max and Fang was a bit awkward.
As someone who loved the Maximum Ride series, this movie was upsetting, disappointing, and not worth my time.
