Absolute tripe

Rating: Null/10 (3 October 2004)

I can't help it, there is a spoiler here but the concept of 'spoiling' this film is hard to grasp, I could barely do a better job than the script.This is without doubt the worst film I have ever seen in my life, bar none. Having read the other review of it I felt obliged to set the record straight. It's hard to know where to start plunging the knife into this bloated turkey but suffice to say when the credits rolled at the end the reaction of most of the cinema audience was laughter and a few groans. Not quite what you'd hope for with a sci-fi horror film. The story concerns a preacher (Gibson) who has lost his wife to an improbable car accident and who starts to notice some strange UFO activity around his farm. What follows shortly after is tense, well shot and edgy. Then it takes a turn for the absurd. After a fleeting glimpse of an alien you are expecting the film to be quite entertaining but it swiftly becomes silly. Gibsons house comes under siege by aliens and we are told that this is occurring worldwide. Yes, homes of bad actors are under siege, but not just them it seems the aliens are after ruining birthday parties and hanging out above Mexico (they just love that, don't they?). The budget must have been about $5 for special effects because we are treated to five lightbulbs in a dark room to represent a terrifying UFO appearance above cities. Never mind, the plot will carry the film through won't it? Unfortunately not. We are mysteriously told that 'an ancient form of warfare' is winning out against the aliens. The newsreader presumably not revealing what this is in the hope Gibson will be killed off before he can make any further rubbish flicks. Sadly, Mel and his little brother suss it out for themselves. You see, the aliens have invaded a planet covered in water where it rains a fair bit but alas are killed by water. It seems they sunk all their scientific know-how into building UFOs but didn't stop to plow any thinking into rainwear technology. A simple glass of water in the face is enough to kill them, hooray! It is a shame that someone didn't throw a glass of water into the face of whoever first proposed this script otherwise it might have been a watchable movie. As it stands it is without doubt a total joke. The confused and pointless attempt to bring Mels flagging religious faith into the plot is also misguided and adds nothing to this unpalatable mess of a film.