The Lost Bus is fairly cliche riddled and never overcomes the based-on-a-true-story movie-of-the-week tropes infused throughout. It isn't terrible but, yes, it goes pretty much exactly as you would expect and has as much to say about the human condition as a fortune cookie. McConaughey and Ferrera do what they can with the material but there just isn't that much there there.
The film's special effects often distract from the story its telling. They often feel a bit too obvious and this takes away from the stakes somewhat. The stakes were already pretty low as you never truly worry for our protagonists. There is a sense that everything is going to work out fine. That's one of the problems with movies like this. They predicate certain expectations. McConaughey's character is very much a stereotype (Ferrera's even more so) and we know what arc his character is to go through. The film is just hitting all the beats.
There is a bit of the film trying to be Speed in the middle which does ramp up the excitement quotient a bit. But it still comes down to the fact that we never doubt they will make it out alive. Greengrass knows how to make thrilling action films so I don't know how he misses so much here.
The Lost Bus just is trying to hard to be inspiration porn to tell an actually compelling story. It ends up therefore being rather forgettable and not really having much of anything to say about wildfires or heroics.
The Lost Bus
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writers: Brad Ingelsby, Paul Greengrass
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