Sometimes, Hollywood can be a broken jukebox. It will occasional play something new and everyone will sigh in relief at something different, something fresh. But for the most part, it seems to be stuck on one song that plays over and over and over.

One song, which seems to be playing a lot lately on the Hollywood Jukebox machine is Young Adult SC-Fi novel adaptations. From “The Hunger Games” to “Divergent”, it is hard to imagine that there is any left out there.

“The Giver” is a Sc-Fi film directed by Phillip Noyce (Salt, Patriot Games) and features Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Merly Streep, and Katie Holmes. In a future without war, pain, suffering, differences, or choice, a young boy is chosen to take on the memories of their lost civilization from an elderly man. The man teaches him of the pain and pleasure that came with the life before theirs and the boy must decide what world he wants to live in.

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The film should be commemorated for a great number of things when it comes to these dystopian novel adaptations. Not only is it a one-off, which is extremely rare in this day and age of franchising everything, but it also brings up new ideas and themes to this overused genre of films. It is more Orwellian in nature compared to other films, and should get some type of participation award for that. The only problem is, “The Giver” is the blandest of its genre. It is hard to not be constantly checking ones watch throughout film. Even most of the actors come out as bland in this film, ones like Alexander Skarsgard who is known for being a very talented actor, seems to give off nothing in this film. The film also brings a lot of old baggage from ther films in this genre. From the costumes, the police in particular seeming to come straight from either “Oblivion” or “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, the unique speech patterns, and the entire quest itself. The film rides a very thin line of innovative and cliché that definitely hurts it overall.

Streep and Bridges both bring a gravitas to this film that captivates you, in a film that needs more captivating moments. Streep plays a villain that is downright sympathetic. She reminds us some of the greatest villains, never look at themselves as villains and feel just as much pain as heroes.

Bridges is as fantastic in his role as the titular Giver. While he plays old and wise at times, he brings way more to the character than that. Behind all of his mentor ways, he is a broken man. A man who felt tremendous amounts of misery. A man haunted by not only his past, but also his knowledge of the way things used to be. The two take a script, which is sometimes ear aching with its dialogue and pull out a performance that will be the only thing keeping you on the edge of your seat in this film.

Should you go see “The Giver”? A gut reaction comes out as no. For all of the unique elements of the film (all of the black and white sequences being a favorite of mine that goes away way too soon), it is very cliché in nature. It has a lot of things you probably saw in any “Hunger Games” film or even “Divergent” for that matter. But if you are a fan of “The Giver”, give it a chance. Maybe you will find something with in the hour and thirty-four minutes that give you the feeling you had reading the book.

Jacob Pierce can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter @JacobPierce1_DE, or at 536-3311 ext. 273