Reviews

Warning: Unless you enjoy watching stupidity (not the kind intended as comedy) don't read this.

Wow, for a big-name director, this movie was HORRIBLE. Maybe, just maybe, the specially trained combatants really were that fantastically ... stupid. Or was it really the directing? Over and over again the soldiers did literally unbelievably stupid things. Examples: on a well lit roof?! So they stand IN the light, and not darker areas?! Stand up exposing their torsos to heavy fire repeatedly when they could (should) simply DUCK DOWN. They're fighting from a rooftop - the ONE that's all lit up. The soldiers did not notice?! That is, until a neighbor braves the bitter inevitable gun fight to go tell them they're making themselves the obvious target - only then they are suddenly ultra-urgently thinking of killing the light, acting entirely like it was their idea?! But NO, do NOT kill ALL of the lights! They need the ones backlighting them through the translucent portions of the wall, so they can flock to THOSE areas to hunker down?! Uhm... they can SEE YOU! Crap like that, way too frequently. It was clearly BAD directing when the film used a theme effect, then repeated it again obviously because he thought it looked cool. We could see it the first time! Bad enough the predominance of the effects were the same ole stale stuff - NOTHING new in this film at all. I literally began fully anticipating each action the 2nd time - oh how special, gunshots chipped off some concrete. Wait for it, it will be shown exactly once more...yep, there it was. On to the next tired effect... *yawn*. I was stunned upon seeing this was based on a true story. I'll never know the ratio of bad directing, stupidity of the original persons, and perhaps a dash of bad acting. I'm not a very good critic - even I initially rated this "8", forgot I had seen it and watched it again when this all caught my attention. Once I realized this waste of time was so burdened by nauseating dumbness, I can't unsee it.

A potentially good movie except for lead character John constantly blowing it with ultra-obvious behavior. The bump key scene for one example. Come ON - frequently turning around looking at the guards in a near panic?! Neither they nor the many people around noticed anything? When he busted out his wife, once out of sight, STOP RUNNING so obviously! They repeatedly gave there presence away. Squealing tires, speeding through crowded streets, running red lights. He was getting away! Why risk complete failure getting into a crash? He had the forethought to cut the fence of the parking garage - then tried to run to the train platform first - where the police were certainly waiting? Way too many stupid director/screenplay blunders like that. Okay, he's a college teacher not a seasoned criminal but come on - all that planning yet act SO dumb? Sigh; the masses like what looks good, not what looks smart.

Didn't. Michael Bryce specifically state he gets peach Gelato, yet it's shown twice (at his step-father's dinner for dessert, and in the flashback at the fair) colored green?

One of my peeves, and this movie had enough that I noticed watching it once, are stupid technical inconsistencies. I.E., something a simple as a plain wristwatch stops working, but video camera works just fine!? And, replacing a starter solenoid fixes only that one car? Starter solenoids are not used at all on cars already running, yet all the cars died.

But an even bigger peeve is when main characters act just stupid. Especially when they have an responsibility such as taking care of their children. I could go on and on, but even the little dumb things like they're in a basement, and all the windows are blowing in. Action stops, so main character sticks his face RIGHT IN A WINDOW very soon after?! Duh. Or, much bigger - announce that he is aware that people may want to take the only running vehicle. Then, drive it right into a huge crowd of unruly people. Amazingly, the vehicle gets taken from them. But, leave the child in the car while he jumps out to physically fight EVERYONE in hand-to-hand combat. Real smart. Then, uses his gun - but not effectively, since that should have been used to quickly get away, not stand there until someone stronger comes along. Double duh. Okay, during the initial attacks, how long and how many times did he need to see everything being completely destroyed and people being vaporized before he "gets it", and actually keeps getting away. No, buildings are being destroyed, so hide behind a building. Smart. And, leave the kids - constantly. Leave the girl to go pee out of sight. Leave the kids in a house while you go far away to wander around - and, not obtain useful items, but ask stupid questions of others I.E. "where you on that plane?" What does it matter?! Or, you know you have no food, so tell the kid to grab all the food. Then, scold him for not grabbing food! Then, run to where the aliens are likely to attack - they already survived the initial attack - twice, and keep running from where they were safe already! Go to the mom's house, but don't grab ANY useful supplies. On and on. What a stupid, intelligence insulting movie. Appropriate for a cheap horror flick. Bitterly disappointing for an "action" movie, and shocking that this was a Steven Spielburg film.