refreshingly NOT filled with icons of America

Rating: 9/10 (29 November 2006)

This is the best filmed "end of mankind" movie I've ever seen. Usually these set-in-the-future, apocalyptic kind of films end up being clichéd and filled with overused crumbling Manhattan landmarks like they're the only buildings in the world that matter. And then invariably some nobody at the end has to (successfully) by "fluke" dodge 10,000 rounds of ammunition and rise to a challenge of running up the colors in true American heroism that ruins so many could-have-been good movies. I loved how this film had NONE of that. It was set in Britain in 2027 but it definitely took some political stabs at the whole "Homeland Security" stuff going on in the US right now. All that aside however, it was a film that took you right into the action. Many times it was all hand held, 1st person perspective filming like Saving Private Ryan meets The Bourne Identity kind of thing. I had seen the previews and I wasn't thrilled about seeing it but some friends dragged me along last night. I surprised even myself as I came out immediately raving about it.