'51': Two Stars (Out of Five)
Another SyFy network entry in this year's 'After Dark Originals': apparently 'After Dark Films' and the SyFy network joined forces this year in producing a couple of films allowing 'After Dark Films' to release the movie in theaters as part of their 'Horrorfest' series and SyFy to release it as well as an original TV movie. I hate SyFy network's original films, I think they're some of the worst movies being made presently, but I've always enjoyed the 'After Dark Films' series to varying degrees (some are stinkers but most are at least somewhat interesting and entertaining). The two films co-produced with SyFy network this year are undoubtedly some of the worst that 'After Dark' has had to offer. With that said though, '51' is one of the better SyFy network films I've ever seen. It's still a horrible movie but for SyFy network it's a step in the right direction.
The film is set at Area 51 when, due to public pressure, the government has decided to allow select members of the press tour their site. A veteran news reporter known as Sam Whitaker (John Shea) and a young up and coming journalist and blog writer named Claire Fallon (Vanessa Branch), as well as their cameramen are the selected guests allowed in to Area 51. Col. Martin (Bruce Boxleitner) leads them on their tour with instructions of not letting them see anything of real importance or vital security (especially the alien beings living there down below). Martin does a good job of leading the press on until all Hell breaks looks when one of the base's alien inhabitants decides to break free and save his fellow species.
The acting, writing and directing are all excessively cheesy and goofball. The film was made on a budget of less than $1 million so the cast and visual effects are of course lacking (you'd think there'd be a much larger number of people working for such a high security military base, rather than just a couple dozen). It does kind of have fun with itself though and it could have been a cool 50's like 'B' creature feature but that would be too big a compliment for this. It's aimed in that direction but it definitely falls a little short. It's not as awful as you might expect from SyFy but it's definitely nothing worth wasting time on either.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhQaTxuL7SQ
Another SyFy network entry in this year's 'After Dark Originals': apparently 'After Dark Films' and the SyFy network joined forces this year in producing a couple of films allowing 'After Dark Films' to release the movie in theaters as part of their 'Horrorfest' series and SyFy to release it as well as an original TV movie. I hate SyFy network's original films, I think they're some of the worst movies being made presently, but I've always enjoyed the 'After Dark Films' series to varying degrees (some are stinkers but most are at least somewhat interesting and entertaining). The two films co-produced with SyFy network this year are undoubtedly some of the worst that 'After Dark' has had to offer. With that said though, '51' is one of the better SyFy network films I've ever seen. It's still a horrible movie but for SyFy network it's a step in the right direction.
The film is set at Area 51 when, due to public pressure, the government has decided to allow select members of the press tour their site. A veteran news reporter known as Sam Whitaker (John Shea) and a young up and coming journalist and blog writer named Claire Fallon (Vanessa Branch), as well as their cameramen are the selected guests allowed in to Area 51. Col. Martin (Bruce Boxleitner) leads them on their tour with instructions of not letting them see anything of real importance or vital security (especially the alien beings living there down below). Martin does a good job of leading the press on until all Hell breaks looks when one of the base's alien inhabitants decides to break free and save his fellow species.
The acting, writing and directing are all excessively cheesy and goofball. The film was made on a budget of less than $1 million so the cast and visual effects are of course lacking (you'd think there'd be a much larger number of people working for such a high security military base, rather than just a couple dozen). It does kind of have fun with itself though and it could have been a cool 50's like 'B' creature feature but that would be too big a compliment for this. It's aimed in that direction but it definitely falls a little short. It's not as awful as you might expect from SyFy but it's definitely nothing worth wasting time on either.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhQaTxuL7SQ