No New Ground; But Well Done!

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2012)

I know that little new material was presented in this film. We have become so jaded with all the special effects available. If the computer people get a little carried away, it soon begins to detract from the central flow of the plot. This is why foreign films are, for the most part, better than American films. When you don't have the bells and whistles available, you have to actually tell a good "story." This movie, however, is a cut above most of the others of its ilk because I really did begin to care about the characters. Also, having been a middle-school teacher for forty years, I found the goofiness and charm of the kids to be pretty believable. Granted, the deck is stacked because they all have issues. Not every quartet of young people automatically includes four levels of dysfunction. Still, the actors are out of the ET mode, in that they seem to act in a somewhat real way, considering the circumstances. I agree, however, that the military is up to no good and that is old hat. Also, why are the aliens so typically reptilian. I wish the creators could come up with something new. Finally, the first two-thirds are really captivating but the final third can't maintain it. It's still worth the time.