an interesting looking failure

Rating: 2/10 (11 September 2009)

The Positives:
1. It starts off well,and the newscasts give it a certain sense of realism.
2. South Africa is a refreshing choice of location (not in America,for once).
3. the idea of aliens struggling here on Earth seems quite plausible.
4. occasionally,some eye-pleasing visuals are on offer.
The Negatives:
1. Alien creature design is flawed,it makes it very difficult for them to emote - which in turn makes it hard for us to relate to them until very late into the movie...quite frankly their look evokes disgust throughout,which lingers on for hours after the film.
2. No character (be it human or alien) was given sufficient depth,they just run around like in a cheap action movie.
3. The storyline is totally linear and thus totally predictable,offering the same kind of message as seen in bucket-loads of other action movies.Plot holes abound.
4. Visually,the sets are decidedly CyberPunk,whilst props,robot,weaponry and action sequences are mired deep in video game references...detailed and trendy but not original or groundbreaking by any standard.
5. Self mutilation and graphic injuries is another attempt to tick the trendy boxes...the time could have been better spent developing the character.
6. this is,in the end,just another alien movie - it would have been just another zombie movie if it had zombies in it instead of aliens - but it is cliché none the less.
7. Predator had only one alien,with a lot less screen time given,yet its character was infinitely more developed than 2.5 million aliens we saw in this movie from start to finish.
Weapons,costumes and CG explosions do not automatically make for a good movie...it isn't terrible to watch because it has its moments,but overall it under-delivered.