Nice idea

Rating: 5/10 (24 August 2003)

What you have to remember with this film is that it is a few years before The Matrix, which you have to acknowledge, but that is where any sort of comparison ends. The sets are great and at the beginning of the film the direction and the mood seems to be promising. Unfortunately, you soon learn the film is badly mis-cast. Rufus Sewell, is unlikeable, Jennifer Connelly does not seen to have a clue what is going on and Kiefer Sutherland is the worst offender, with a daft voice playing the role that should surely have gone to an older actor. Infact, I think Kiefer whould have done a much better job in the lead role, I think he could have done the paranoid thing justice. The plot is baiscally about a group of aliens called "the Strangers" who have come to our planet to experiment on humans to see what makes us tick, changing daily situations overnight. One highlight is Richard O'Brien who is excellent as Mr Hand. The movie rambles on with Rufus trying to figure out what is going on, but by the end you just don't care. It's a shame because you feel this was bit of a labour of love for the director, but the casting is just so wrong.