Decent movies

Rating: 6/10 (10 July 2005)

The movies not as bad as most of the reviews i am reading, but one things is clear, its not an ID4 movies ( why do we need another ID4 movie anyway???). The actions limited, the effect was there only when necessary, everything was done sparingly and in the background so that it don't feel like another over the top action/sci-fi movie. THe movies concentrate a lot more on the normal people, on how people would react in such desperate and morbid situation.
What i like; its human action & behavior is very real and i don't find it stereotypical at all, and feels that its a lot deeper then it seems. There's just varieties of situation, that show this, the part where they flip the TV channel, when there was news on EMP in other cities, the van when Ray won't stop, and what happen when he stopped, and tension escalates amongst each other, the part where he had to kill the guy in the basement... even the part where finally he took a stand, just to save his daughter. Ray works fine, he take up his role as someone who's selfish, useless and immatures trying to grip the fact that his family doesn't has little love for him and have left him. Robs, well he's irritating, but seems real, as a teenage boy that has no respect for his dad at all, seeing his dad as someone thats a coward and running away from trouble, while he feels the need to do something useful. Rachel, screams a lot yes, but i think any kids would have screams that much if something like that happens. Her reaction to the dead bodies in the river was superb. A lot of things wasn't explain, but was planted subtly, the red plant like vine that was growing, that eventually dies in Bostons. The Car engine in Ray house, that how he know which car works.
What i don't like: ROBS ALIVED? The ending, i couldn't think of a better way to end it, but it feels bad still. I know he was trying to end it with a happy ending, but it still feels out of places. Shouldn't be that clean. But at least it didn't end morbidly like Planet of the Apes. The ending does spoil it, but its still true to the book of how the aliens dies.
few things to notes, there was a lot of complain about how the EMP worked, why somethings still works and somethings doesn't. The van still works, cause it runs on carburetor and doesn't need an ECU instead of fuel-injection, which need ECU(electronics control unit). Its interesting how they subtly hinted on this when the mechanic ask ray about fixing the van.
THe camera probably still works cause its switch off. EMP only effects electronics devices that are running. But the video crew that managed to film the lightning strike, and alien going underground, thought thats was what cause the EMP. Camera should had died then.
Overall, the films pretty good, its a very sad, morbid movies with quite a lot of suspense. Don't expect a powerful inspiring movies, with a lot of effects or smart people saving the world.