Great movie... to a point

Rating: 6/10 (23 March 2009)

I really wish I could give this movie more stars. I wish it had surpassed my expectations. And for a while there, I thought it might... until I, and everyone else in the theater, became... let's call it 'uncomfortable'.
The intro to this movie was close to perfect. It setup the suspense and curiosity you would enjoy throughout the film. The body of the movie was more than exciting and fulfilling as well. The special effects were superb. The acting was... average to above average. The plot was thick. This was appearing to be one of the better films of the year, and possibly one of my favorite SciFi thrillers. But, then it happened.
It's like a switch was flipped. The visual effects remained spectacular, but just about everything else fell apart. They attempted to produce an ending so incredible and unbelievable, that they ended up making it downright silly. The actors started over-acting, and every line became as cheesy as you could imagine. So much so, that you could see everybody in their seats squirming, trying to overlook the predictable and lame lines from the actors, only to re-discover the goofy ending to the film. In my opinion, quite a waste of a perfect introduction, great body of work (acting and story telling), and the possibility of a completely enjoyable and interesting film - from start to finish.
Special effects (entire movie): 9/10
Acting (first 3/4 of the film): 7/10
Acting (last 1/4 of the film): 4/10
Plot (first 3/4 of the film): 8/10
Plot (last 3/4 of the film): 5/10
Frustration that the ending ruined the rest of the movie for me: 10/10