Reviews

Hey, do you have a basic understanding of evolution and see how smoothly we fit in with the species of this world (e.g. pentadactyl limb)? Forget it. A rough idea of where our medical science is and how it's progressing? Won't need that either. The ability to relate to characters that are well written? Unnecessary, there aren't any characters like that here!

The science is bad from the start (basic understanding of human/non- human DNA comparison seems absent, that or we're meant to swallow that HUGE coincidence) but the scientists are worse. I'd have thought that the average human knows that "finding a patch of breathable air in a cavern" does not mean "the whole place has breathable air" due to gas pockets and risk of airbourne infections, let alone the more physical dangers of exploring underground terrain (e.g. collapsing ceilings), yet NO ONE, not even the geologist/biologist duo, disagreed. Also, know something that any living thing with basic instincts should know? If a large snake-thing is rearing up to a good 2 feet, hissing and displaying its hood, DO NOT poke its face! Know who I'd least expect to ignore those warnings? A biologist in the dark who was already specifically trying to steer clear of alien lifeforms, which brings me onto my next point...

The "characters" are horribly erratic. It was when the biologist found ALIEN LIFE that he decided to leave. Uh, what? Isn't that WHY he went there? He seemed like such a friendly nerd when we first see him but quickly runs off with the guy who hates him. It gets worse. If someone saved you and your partner's life after the "greatest discovery of mankind" would you really get drunk alone and start slagging off your saviour? Also; you'd think that finding out that you were right all along, that your faith was justified and that "anyone can make life" wouldn't be the time to suddenly bring up and cry about fertility issues. Ergh. Why was a certain stowaway was kept secret anyway? Why did they decide finding 1 tomb-like structure meant that the species was extinct? Why did the researchers, getting no instant reaction to electricity, decide to further Taser their great and fragile discovery? Why, why, WHY would you pick death-by-fire over death-by-atmosphere? Or run forward instead of out of the path of the giant rolling wheel? ALL of these things could have been done better (e.g. fertility issues brought up by worried anticipation as they approach the planet, not introducing the unfortunate buddy pair as scientists who didn't like each other, not having a surprisingly-heavy-zombie scene at all). The whole film felt like the "plot points" were just messily shoved in as an afterthought ("oh, put some emotion in there, and some action here").

As for the technology... We're already starting to use digital microscopes, projectors/screens on a regular basis an lasers to close wounds; what was with the manual tasks, acrylic block iPhone and staples? Why doesn't the ship have a delicate enough autopilot to avoid that ending (and why does no one seem to value their lives)?

To finish my review: The 3D was pretty terrible too, plus this film had the most unbelievable dream sequence I've EVER seen. This is only getting 3 stars from me because I think the actors did okay with the scripts they were given, the effects were decent and the scenery striking, plus I liked the baby-to-the-rescue scene at the end.

Wait for the film on TV if you're curious, but I went with low expectations and was still surprised by how bad it was.

It's a light version of EXistenZ that doesn't try to do anything interesting with the concept, instead opting for a whiny film noir-type plot.

Most of what I have to say has been said in the negative reviews already so I'll try and keep it shorter...

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GIRL: I don't believe you did it Mr Leo!

LEO: Sorry girl, I'm so film noir even I think I did it.

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The dream "psychology" was horribly outdated. Here are some tips:

REM SLEEP ISN'T DREAM SLEEP: Dream psychologists don't like to listen to their patients. That REM sleep is called dream sleep comes from a study that 50% recalled dreams when woken from REM sleep whilst just 30% after REM sleep. The participants who didn't dream were accused of forgetting them. However another study showed that 80% of people DO recall dreams if woken BEFORE REM sleep.

YOU NEVER KNOW YOU'RE DREAMING: Cheers Leo, but I always did as a kid, and I'm marking down any movie that bases its science on things my <8yr old self would have known better than.

DROPPING SOMEONE WILL WAKE THEM UP: Okay, I've suddenly felt like I'm falling and gone from nearly asleep to wide awake, yes, WHEN I WASN'T FALLING. Conversely, I've fallen out of bed without waking up. See the problem here?

There's more, like how faces and indeed species are not fixed in dream situations (my A-level Psychology was a while back but there are terms for people changing whilst being the same person, like once in a dream I had to fight to save my friend from a bear after his trip to where I was had accidentally transformed him into a hamster; still him, but small and fuzzy).

So in the first 5-10 minutes I could tell what type of film this would be. It was very upsetting since I was in the cinema and didn't want to walk out. Instead I was stuck staring at Leo's demise to non-acting, ergh... But wait! There was one part where, despite myself, I STARTED TO ENJOY THE MOVIE!

Girl (she doesn't need a name) is playing with the dream world and it's magnificent and exciting. It's beautiful, it's imaginative, it's amazing (and unsurprisingly used in all the trailers).

LEO: NOW NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.

And she doesn't. Even they were already outed and some imaginative reorganisation of surroundings could have helped saved their dream- lives.

Pointed out already on IMDb; dream world and you need protection? Think big, call in the dragons and gigantic cosmic tentacle beasts. What do they opt for? A rocket launcher. Huh...

So why was the wife's image VIOLENT rather than, say, seductive? Why didn't Girl DO more? Why is the dream-entering nonsense not being used to solve Leo? And speaking of Leo, I'm glad he's moved on from just :) but what happened to Shutter Island's range of expressions? He was just >:/ for the WHOLE of Inception.

Film noir + Poor attempt at exploration of the concept of consciousness = An award-winning film though, so what do I know.

REALLY MINOR SPOILERS, TRIED NOT TO GIVE ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT AWAY!

Not even British ravens, so they're pretty small. Looked like crows to me.

Still, you know how creature features tend to have an explanation for the growth and/or outbreak of the featured creature? This has the BEST.

Fully covers how they got it and why it makes the ravens turn into pack killers, and why they'll learn better and more effective methods of attack and then revert back to their useless attacks.

...Wait, no, it doesn't cover any of that.

Also worth a look for the WORST DOCTOR EVER! Even by creature feature standards, was he even trying?

Another film that could be fun with friends and good food if you have some time to kill.

Now, maybe I was mislead from the start but I was under the impression that this film was inspired by actual conformity studies such as Zimbardo's prison study. The REAL story of Zimbardo's study in particular is a great look into the human mind and raises many questions, maybe even giving some answers in regards to human rights atrocities like the Holocaust and outbreaks of vicious violence in wartime situations (not least Guantanamo Bay).

Sadly, this film carries NO special psychology knowledge.

Most disappointingly it COMPLETELY fails to show one of the more surprising aspects of real people's reaction to stereotypes; the way that the OPPRESSED can internalise their roles, i.e. people who are being punished unfairly and told it's for their own good will start to feel that they deserve it. Sadly, whilst ample opportunity, there is NONE of this here. People either conform to the winning side or act defiant. In fact, we don't see a SINGLE PERSON be defiant and then change their minds to fit in. The film also ignores the positive sides of conformity in real life, such as how people in positively-associated uniforms such as a doctor's will be more altruistic.

And my biggest beef of all is the EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE FEMALE CHARACTER BEING PORTRAYED AS A GOOD GIRLFRIEND AND PERSON. I think the following scenes are in order: 1) In Drama class one kid isn't saying his lines word for word. Karo gets stroppy about this and storms out, ending the play's practice. This is poor team work. 2) At home we're shown Karo being iffy around the sexual flirting of her parents. Fair enough, I suppose. 3) Next, Karo is in her bedroom with her boyfriend, on a computer. She's telling him how they're moving out (note: doesn't ask his opinion on this) and whining about her life. 4) Same scene, her boyfriend asks her to come onto the bed with him. He's clothed so this might be an invitation to cuddle, but she tells him she's not in the mood and then gets upset when he leaves. Instead of what, lying on your bed listening to you whine and plan his life for him? 5) The class are going to wear white shirts the next day. Trying one on at home, Karo seems pleased that her mother thinks she looks like a nun. But then SHE DOESN'T WEAR THE SHIRT THE NEXT DAY. This is never really explained. She tells her boyfriend white doesn't suit her, but what stopped her being so keen? The only explanation comes from her friend (i.e. the female Karo whines about her life to); that Karo just has to be centre of attention. 6) She wears red the next day. The group is iffy about it but still accepts her ideas. Eventually her group name isn't picked though and so this sets her off on protesting against the group. <<< Again, the best explanation for why she doesn't just conform or stick with it wearing red is that she's upset she isn't the centre of attention. Certainly she kicks up a LOT of fuss. [[...I don't think she changes her shirt in the following days for the rest of the film either. Ew.]] <<<< NOTE: Before this the character wore "in" clothes. >>>> 7) Karo is in a strop that her boyfriend doing well with the play after she left. 8) So Karo joins up with another girl who left the group earlier. At one point they discuss what propaganda to give out, and credit to Karo she opposes making up things for this. Discredit to the script writers, ANTI-GROUP PROPAGANDA MOST CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING THE Nazis DID. That the "stop this group existing" attitude of Karo and the other girl is never really portrayed in a negative light is... Well, kind of bizarre. 9) Eventually the school's team in an event is being cheered on by The Wave group and Karo and whatsherface choose this moment to throw anti- Wave leaflets about (so now disrupting sports events to spread propaganda). 10) There's a big part later where Karo's boyfriend confronts her, tries to get her to stop running off, and ends up hitting her AFTER SHE HITS HIM FIRST. Now I don't agree with men hitting women but I don't agree with women hitting men either, and his hitting her seems to be a defensive reaction. He's RIGHT to apologise for it (hitting people is wrong) but that she hit him first is totally ignored. 11) Thankfully after a big WTF ending the boyfriend takes Karo back. Awww- wait, what? WHAT??? NO!

Even if you think Karo's protesting against The Wave was justified her treatment of her friends and boyfriend was appalling throughout the film. She is a totally self-centred character (making it hard to believe she would oppose The Wave for anything more significant than a personal grudge) and shows no care for anyone but herself.

If any of my friends were dating a girl like Karo I would be far more concerned than I would if they were in a short school experiment (which again; conformity has lows but also highs and The Wave was certainly exhibiting potential for positive reform if it had better guidelines to stop it becoming just another gang in the area).

I'll move the film to 3/10 because it is entertaining but it's little more than that, and there's something far more irksome about Karo's character portrayed as the "good" type than there is about a student group.

What I'd have liked to have seen: - A character who goes from defiant to conforming (really, it's a significant part of human behaviour, despite its negative implications) - More recognition of the positive side of conformity (fire fighters, nurses, doctors, army medics; the list goes on and on) - A healthy relationship? Even just a healthy friendship?