"Carriers" Movie Review

I don't think I have ever watched a movie and thought to myself when it ended, "Wow! Now that was an okay movie!". Well, "Carriers" is just an okay movie. Here is my extremely brief description of Carriers:

It is kind of a gumdrop and lollipop post-apocalyptic movie. A diet version of 28 days later only not as good and without the zombies.

Does this mean you shouldn't read my full review? No. I mean, after all, I'm taking the time to write it. It is a movie worth a watch... just not what I was hoping for. It was a dark vision of what would transpire if a highly lethal and contagious virus were to spread. There were several brutally realistic moments which made the movie fun. Harsh decisions are made, people are killed, and circumstances force actions all in the name of survival. The story follows two brothers and their girlfriends as they travel the desolate roads to their childhood vacation spot. Why? It's on a beach, it's a large hotel, it's nowhere easy to find, and it has been closed for several years. Along the way they have encounters that are not anticipated and are forced to deal with situations they were hoping to avoid. Christopher Meloni does a great job portraying a desperate father trying to cure his daughter.

So what didn't I like about Carriers? I think it was a little too "pretty". The cast, to me, seemed just a little too perfect and pretty. Even the fake scar on Chris Pine doesn't help. I also felt some of the acting was a bit cliche for the characters. While there were events and decisions that made sense, there were just as many that did not. Another gripe? If the virus is really that contagious, would a surgical mask do much good?

Overall, Carriers is worth a watch. It's not very gritty and is more or less a post-apocalyptic date-night movie for the younger crowd. Granted, I did have high hopes for this one so maybe I'm being a little harsh. If you have seen it, I'd be curious to hear what you think.