7/10

Matthew McConaughey stars in this coming of age tale about a man on the run and living on an island when he befriends two children. To be honest, i didn’t really know what to expect when i saw the trailers for this film. I knew i definitely wanted to see it because of the amazing cast (Reese Witherspoon, Michael Shannon and Sarah Paulson to name a few), but i didn’t know if it would be any good or not. My answer is that this is a pretty good film that tells a good story. The problem with that story is that it drags out at times and has pacing problems while getting to the big conclusion. The film runs in at 2 hours and 10 minutes, and really has no reason to be that long. Other than that, my only other problem with the film was the concentrating on some of the outside storylines. I would’ve appreciated a better telling of the stuff outside of Mud trying to get off of the island. This film is packed with good things though. This includes amazing performances by the two little boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, respectively). They give the movie a “Stand By Me” kind of feel with the great bond the two boys share. All they want is an adventure to get them away from their less than thrilling lives and they found it in this stranger who shows up out of nowhere. I also enjoyed the settings of this small town where the youths wonder what adult to trust, if any. Overall, i recommend this film when it comes out on DVD next week. If Mcconaughey doesn’t bother you too much, then give it a shot. It’s a little long, but a lot better than most of the theater releases that have come out lately.