SYNOPSIS:
Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and grow. In an effort to stem the destruction that resulted, half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain the massive creatures... Our story begins when a jaded US journalist (McNairy) begrudgingly agrees to find his boss daughter, a shaken American tourist (Able) and escort her through the infected zone to the safety of the US border.
MOVIE
REVIEW:
The alien invasion science fiction film has
been done to death, and it is no wonder that almost every
single such movie that is released these days will be adequately
panned by any self respected movie reviewer. A while ago,
there was the American production Skyline directed by the
Brothers Strause, which was regarded as a badly made movie
universally. And then there was this British production directed
by Gareth Edwards. We couldn’t help but initially think
that these two films were related – and upon watching
this superior movie of the same genre, we would like to apologise
for having that perception.
While Skyline featured a mindless plot of
aliens invading our world, this better scripted movie tells
the story of what happens years after Earth suffered an alien
invasion. The protagonist is a cynical journalist who makes
the decision to escort a traumatised American tourist through
an infected zone in Mexico, so that she can safely reach home
by crossing the US border.
How can you blame us for thinking that the
two movies were somewhat related?
If you are aware of the differences in the
standards of filmmaking between the Americans and the British,
you’d get an idea of how these two movies compare. The
first standout difference is the evidently thoughtful script
which explores some character development amidst the chaos
that is happening around the protagonist. As you watch the
94 minute production, you feel yourself emphathising with
the lead characters – it almost feel like you are traveling
the ruins alongside them, as they discover another side of
human nature they never knew. Second, although both movies
employ computer generated special effects, it is clear which
one went through proper thought process. Used rather sparsely
here, the alien creatures are not excessively featured in
your face. Amongst the many other superior aspects is the
choice of actors. Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able (both relatively
unknown faces in our region) are believable in their portrayals
of the skeptical writer and the distressed vacationer respectively.
Also
notable is the fact that besides directing the film, Edwards
was also the man who wrote, shot and helmed the visual effects
of the production. It is apparent this indie filmmaker knows
what he wants, and with this debut feature, he is definitely
an up and coming director to look out for. Just look out for
a scene towards the end of the movie where the protagonists
sight the alien creatures from behind a wall – the sequence
is strangely beautiful and alluring, if we had to describe
it in words. It is no wonder then, that Edwards has been attached
to direct the upcoming Godzilla reboot (admit it – the
1998 American version was rather trashy), and yes, we are
looking forward to what he has to offer.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
NIL.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie's visual transfer is fine, and you can
watch it in either its original English audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted on 7 March 2011
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