Not for the usual reasons

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2004)

The creatures were not very impressive, and hey what did they live on in between eclipses?
And who couldn't guess which one was going to be the hero in the first one minute?
And there was way f*ing too much f*ing bad f*ing language. Really tough, really mean, really scary does not rely on schoolground swearing. Perhaps most moviegoers only understand eleven words with one being f* and the other c*, but I don't believe it. I think that most people are better than that and it's time that movie makers recognised the f*ing fact!
What the film really did have going for it - which impressed me very much - were three things.
Firstly, it relied on the age old rule that what you *dont* see frightens you most.
Secondly, the use of light (before the eclipse!) gave a more alien look to the planet than anything I have ever seen before. It was almost black and white - hard light that we just don't see here. It didn't look like a studio, or Mexico (or even Coober Pedy!).
Thirdly, we were presented with a 'holy man' who was not a standard Christian eccentric or magically endowed Indian Guru. A plain simple Muslim Iman who lived by his beliefs but didn't attempt to murder, terrorize or convert anyone, nor attempt to exorcise the monster devils, nor to worship them. Just an example of one of the worlds population in the wrong place at the wrong time.
So I think it was an interesting film, but not for the usual reasons. Not for the plot which was predictable, not for the writing (which mostly was adequate) and not for the effects (which were relatively unimpressive). No, I 'liked' the film because I could really believe it was another planet, because I could believe in the creatures (till I saw them!) and because it highlighted that the things we *are* afraid of, may not necessarily be the things we *should* be worrying about.