This routine alien invasion film eschews storyline and originality in favour of a non-stop stream of shoot-outs, car chases, and the like. Although there's an 18 certificate, there is little in the way of gore (or anything else for that matter) and bad computer effects are predominant. They're very colourful and pretty but not in the least bit plausible and they simply look like they've been superimposed on the screen. There is hardly any plot and the alien invasion idea was clichéd in the '50s, 40 years later it looks like it has actually regressed into simplicity instead of developing further.
The acting is all on the bland side, with the exception of the two leads. Dennis Christopher is an interesting, peace-loving alien while Scalia is the tough yet sympathetic cop who wins our hearts. The aliens all have slightly effective looking black covered eyes and are of the typical men in black variety, but more imaginative makeup could have been used.
The time tunnel is frankly pathetic and looks like it has come out of a cartoon rather than this feature film. Lowlights include the aliens speaking and being subtitled (atrocious idea) and the alien leader having long hair and looking about twenty. More like a student than an alien. However the action sequences are all competent and fairly entertaining, and the long truck chase is a showstopper (as is the hilarious cow abduction at the beginning). But what's the point of good action when there is no substantial backbone of plot to back it up? Unfortunately, it's just the one good moment of a boring, seen-it-all-before film.
The acting is all on the bland side, with the exception of the two leads. Dennis Christopher is an interesting, peace-loving alien while Scalia is the tough yet sympathetic cop who wins our hearts. The aliens all have slightly effective looking black covered eyes and are of the typical men in black variety, but more imaginative makeup could have been used.
The time tunnel is frankly pathetic and looks like it has come out of a cartoon rather than this feature film. Lowlights include the aliens speaking and being subtitled (atrocious idea) and the alien leader having long hair and looking about twenty. More like a student than an alien. However the action sequences are all competent and fairly entertaining, and the long truck chase is a showstopper (as is the hilarious cow abduction at the beginning). But what's the point of good action when there is no substantial backbone of plot to back it up? Unfortunately, it's just the one good moment of a boring, seen-it-all-before film.