Captain Fantastic

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Steve Zahn, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell, Trin Miller, Kathryn Hahn, Frank Langella
Directed by: Matt Ross
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A father (Viggo Mortensen) raises his six kids alone in the wilderness. When they need to reenter civilization for a funeral, the kids realize they have been prepared for a world very unlike the one they find themselves in.

Review:

Tim: Captain Fantastic is a weird movie. It was really well received and Viggo Mortensen received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Unfortunately for me, I just couldn't get into it. There were aspects of the film I really liked, but the movie as a whole just didn't work for me. The idea is an interesting one- a father raises his six kids in the wilderness, teaching them philosophy, engaging them in a rigorous physical training regimen, challenging their thinking. Without distractions, his kids become intelligent, athletic, skilled individuals. And yet, they are totally unprepared for the civilized world. It's an interesting story about parenthood, childhood, and the world in which we live.

The problem is that it just felt so eccentric, so hard for me to grasp that I never felt comfortable with these characters. I could logically understand their motivations and how their unconventional upbringing shaped their lives, but I didn't particularly care about or identify with them. Six kids is quite a few, so we don't get quite as much time with any one of them as I would have liked. They aren't especially memorable, even though the movie does a good job of trying to differentiate them. The movie and these characters are so weird and it was hard to break through that barrier of weirdness to find something to identify with.

Viggo Mortensen does a very good job in the lead role. He's a talented actor and I was happy his work was recognized for an Academy Award nomination. The whole cast is actually pretty good. The performances feel authentic. It was nice seeing Steve Zahn and Frank Langella in supporting roles. The film itself is really about the kids, though, so we spend a lot of time on them.

I really wish I could have liked this movie more. It's just a weird movie. If you're able to embrace the eccentricities, you may find yourself really enjoying it. I just struggled to stay engaged throughout the two hour run time. I didn't particularly like the characters, so I didn't really care what happened to them. It all felt kind of sad, to think about children growing up like this. While each of them are admirable because of their upbringing, it was also heartbreaking to think about how their childhood would make them outsiders. That part of the film is fascinating, but it felt like it was always on the edges of the film. The kooky antics they get into because of their father took up an overwhelming amount of our focus. That's not to say the movie doesn't have wonderful moments. The scene where Mortensen compares his son to Steve Zahn's kids is memorable, powerful, and really makes you sit up and take notice, for example.

I don't know, I know many critics were big fans of this film. I'd never fault anyone for loving it because I can see why someone would. I can only report on my own experience, though, and I found these characters impenetrable in their weirdness. Besides a few great moments, I wasn't especially entertained by their road trip odyssey. The movie is fine, I appreciate some of the messages, but for me, Captain Fantastic just didn't work well enough.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



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