I read the book. There are a few points, like the temperatures and injuries you mention, that do strain credulity. Perhaps trying to cram it into 2 hours broke some otherwise believable points or introduced unnecessary confusion. I’m looking forward to the movie, though now with gritted teeth given your review.
I get the impression, that if one has read the book first, it would be more enjoyable. I’m also a playwright, and I’m into dialogue story lines and plot. I can’t understand why they didn’t expand on the meeting of Glass and Potaqwa?
I think the movie is a visual feat. Gorgeously photographs, but it spends a lot of time on things that I think could have been sacrificed for content.
Also, I had a hard time trying to under the Fitzgeral character, played by English actor, Tom Hardy.
I do recommend the movie, but I don’t think that people will be flocking to this. It certainly is not a date flick.