I’m at a loss as to how a film can be less than the sum of its parts. I know that The 5th Wave had the opportunity to be good, as I’ve seen practically every scene, plot point, and visual effect in other Young Adult adaptations.

The story has all the required components of a YA adaptation. 

There’s a girl with a long name you can find from history, Cassiopeia, which is conveniently shortened to some more common name, Cassie. 

She has a crush on a boy, and a normal life, and very few of those pesky personality traits. 

The supernatural or science fiction event happens to her, in this case an alien invasion that takes place in several waves. 

She has the options to not get involved, but voluntarily does out of some since of bettering herself, in this case she’s trying to find her brother. 

She meets a love interest, creating a love triangle between her and the cute boy and the new guy. 

One of these men also happens to be the supernatural/science fiction thing, so one of these boys is an alien. 

Trust me when I say I didn’t ruin any of the plot, you would figure this out about 20 minutes in before you even meet the guy. 

This is not so much a movie as a movie loaf. 

It has all the parts of a movie, they’re just chunked up leftovers from other movies put together in a movie-like form. 

If this was the first YA adaptation you saw, you’d probably like it and think all the others were ripping it off. 

The film isn’t all bad. The special effects are very well done. 

The two lead actors are even pretty good. I wish them the best and I hope we get to see them in a better movie. 

In case I didn’t frighten you away or you happen to be a glutton for punishment, the film will be playing in Phelps Theatre on campus May 5, at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. 

The event is free so I don’t feel bad telling you where and when to see the movie.