I’m a big fan of Chloë Grace Moretz; she’s among the finest actresses working today. It wouldn't shock me if she earned an Academy Award nomination sometime within the next decade. Although her projects don’t always result in excellent films, it’s uncommon for her to be at fault when they fall short. In Roseanne Liang's film, she’s clearly essential to keeping everything afloat. Moretz manages what feels like a one-person show—she spends most of the movie confined to a small tower—and displays an impressive breadth of emotion. The majority of the time, viewers are immersed in a tight space, watching the main character talk with the rest of the crew via radio; these other characters happen to be incredibly sexist and irritating men. While I grasp what the filmmakers were trying to achieve with this type of character, it’s so obvious that it almost makes you wonder if the director and her co-writer, Max Landis, have never encountered any other kind of military personnel. The story jumps between different concepts, shifting from a creature feature to a war drama, but their combination feels unbalanced—just like the musical score (Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper). When the purpose of her package is explained and the action sequences become more prominent, the plot veers sharply into the completely ridiculous. From an unexpectedly funny airplane explosion to the improbability of everything that unfolds in the final act, it’s difficult to switch off my disbelief after the film initially aimed for a realistic portrayal of what it's like to be an isolated woman in the Air Force rather than a straightforward science fiction/monster/action movie. Regardless, I can’t overlook its entertainment value and the outstanding performance from the lead actress. Rating: B-

Source on TMDB