i wasn't to sure whether to watch this movie, the only decent movie like this that springs to mind is starship troopers, and yet i could name a million crap movies like this....but the IMDb rating told me to give it a shot....and im so glad i did!! its got a great storyline that doesn't need too much explanation, giving you the chance to concentrate on the characters! the movie keeps u glued and there's not a dull moment in it! its got a lotta comedy factor to it which is mostly brought to you by the main character! the effects are decent enough to look "realistic" and there's no stupid cgi that looks like a cardboard cutout floating across the scene!! i wont say too much but the ending makes you hope there's gonna be a sequel....i hope there is..and i hope its just as good as this!!!...7 outta 10 from me!!
66 Reviews
Eight legged Freaks 2
kosmasp13 October 2009
I'm not sure, if the "monsters" here, have eight legs, I just know that the overall feeling is, that this could be a relative of the movie "Eight Legged Freaks". A fun horror movie then, with some nice characters. While they are all making the best of their roles, Ray Wise obviously helps the movie a lot! Without him, the movie would have lost much of it's touch!
Of course, if you don't like your horror mixed with comedy, you will be certainly annoyed. Throw in a bit of romance and some people might want to switch off, after a few minutes. They would miss Ray Wise of course, but again, if you don't like this mixture, it would be better, if you didn't watch this. Would be a waste of your time. Everyone else, who wants to have, a fun and light viewing pleasure, go ahead and rent it :o)
Of course, if you don't like your horror mixed with comedy, you will be certainly annoyed. Throw in a bit of romance and some people might want to switch off, after a few minutes. They would miss Ray Wise of course, but again, if you don't like this mixture, it would be better, if you didn't watch this. Would be a waste of your time. Everyone else, who wants to have, a fun and light viewing pleasure, go ahead and rent it :o)
Funny Horror Movie Dangles on the Cusp of Greatness
dimarinc9 February 2012
Infestation is a watchable movie. Let me begin with that because I have a lot of criticism for this movie, but most is constructive. This is a movie that with a few different touches really could have been the next Shaun of the Dead. Walking the tight rope between horror and comedy is tough because it's easy to lose both crowds. Some people don't find bugs funny and others aren't scared when the mood lightens too drastically.
The thing that this movie does best is separate the horror from the comedy moments without seeming choppy or displaced. You can be knee deep in a bug attack one second and be laughing the next. And it feels natural. Chris Marquette really brings this movie together. His quirky, lame attitude attributes to most of the comedy but believe-ability that the horror can be serious.
The major flaw of the movie is that many of the supporting roles are played well, but no one else really pops. If someone else could've helped carry the comedy load it would've really helped. Not to mention that the attempt at being sincere at the end is acted poorly. However, having Ray Wise in this movie was a big success.
I truly felt that if another funny character existed and the script was spruced up a bit, this movie could have become the cult classic it was meant to. The fact that it even accomplished what it did, given the difficult genre mix, is proof enough that they were close to greatness.
I would recommend this movie to everyone that likes HorComs or for those who don't like horror movies and need some levity to get through them.
The thing that this movie does best is separate the horror from the comedy moments without seeming choppy or displaced. You can be knee deep in a bug attack one second and be laughing the next. And it feels natural. Chris Marquette really brings this movie together. His quirky, lame attitude attributes to most of the comedy but believe-ability that the horror can be serious.
The major flaw of the movie is that many of the supporting roles are played well, but no one else really pops. If someone else could've helped carry the comedy load it would've really helped. Not to mention that the attempt at being sincere at the end is acted poorly. However, having Ray Wise in this movie was a big success.
I truly felt that if another funny character existed and the script was spruced up a bit, this movie could have become the cult classic it was meant to. The fact that it even accomplished what it did, given the difficult genre mix, is proof enough that they were close to greatness.
I would recommend this movie to everyone that likes HorComs or for those who don't like horror movies and need some levity to get through them.
A diamond in the rough
Worldofgrim25 October 2009
I'm personally tired of and generally ignore the CG monster horror flicks that premiere on the SyFy Channel. I read that this was one of them. Well this one was done great! The jerk hero was actually likable in his purposely annoying way, very funny, and the story happens quickly, so you are in the bug infestation, what the heck is going on, just after the main guys humorful intro.
The other survivors are decent, the story paces along well, no argument lasts too long and no character however annoying, steals the show. There's that used dad-son expectation loss thing but it works well and lots of good natured character humor. The CG was done rather well, even though I still felt it was composited, it was at least fast paced.
The other survivors are decent, the story paces along well, no argument lasts too long and no character however annoying, steals the show. There's that used dad-son expectation loss thing but it works well and lots of good natured character humor. The CG was done rather well, even though I still felt it was composited, it was at least fast paced.
Surprisingly Funny and Entertaining
claudio_carvalho23 September 2016
The clumsy Cooper (Christopher Marquette) is called by his chief Maureen (Deborah Geffner) to be fired from his job. Out of the blue, they hear a shrill noise and they faint. When Cooper wakes up, the finds wrapped in a cocoon and sees a giant insect. He succeeds to escape and release Maureen. They find that the city has been taken over by giant insects and Maureen runs to the street to save her daughter Sara (Brooke Nevin). However a flying insect captures Maurren and Cooper and Sara runs to his office. They release a group from the cocoons and the strong Hugo (E. Quincy Sloan) that is deaf; the sexy and dumb weather girl Cindy (Kinsey Packard); and the janitor Albert (Wesley Thompson) decide to cross the street to visit Albert's son that is sick; Cindy's family; and finally Cooper's estranged father Ethan (Ray Wise). Cooper hits on Sara and when an insect catches her, he decides to go to their nest to rescue Sara and blow-up the structure. Will he succeed?
"Infestation" is a surprisingly funny and entertaining action film. The characters are stereotypes and the hero Cooper is an asshole; Sara is smart; Cindy is a dumb blonde; Hugo is a heartwarming strong man; Ethan is the stereotype of a military. The special effects are much better than anyone could expect. There is no conclusion; probably for a sequel that has not been made. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Infestação: Insetos Assassinos" ("Infestation: Killer Insects")
"Infestation" is a surprisingly funny and entertaining action film. The characters are stereotypes and the hero Cooper is an asshole; Sara is smart; Cindy is a dumb blonde; Hugo is a heartwarming strong man; Ethan is the stereotype of a military. The special effects are much better than anyone could expect. There is no conclusion; probably for a sequel that has not been made. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Infestação: Insetos Assassinos" ("Infestation: Killer Insects")
Good enough creature feature
salsiga-713-605584 May 2014
A pleasant surprise for all the sci-fi/horror genre fans. It's a solid little movie that has the big advantage of not taking itself too seriously while delivering the goods through a good script, many nice touches and some good plot twists.
The predictable and low-budget-showing finale doesn't detract from enjoying this funny and creepy enough piece that enjoys itself remembering the old day's creature features (Tarantula and Them! come to mind).
Surely worth a relaxed watch with some drinks and snacks. A few steps below Shaun of the dead but kind of a similar vive. If you are a fan of the genre, don't miss it. If not, you will probably find it entertaining enough.
The predictable and low-budget-showing finale doesn't detract from enjoying this funny and creepy enough piece that enjoys itself remembering the old day's creature features (Tarantula and Them! come to mind).
Surely worth a relaxed watch with some drinks and snacks. A few steps below Shaun of the dead but kind of a similar vive. If you are a fan of the genre, don't miss it. If not, you will probably find it entertaining enough.
Moth Bitten
MartianOctocretr59 August 2009
This latest Sci-Fi channel production has moments, but not enough.
Horror comedies can be done well (Lake Placid, Tremors, Anachnaphobia), but the director and writer better know what they're doing, since the balance of the two genres is difficult. This writer and director didn't quite have it. They fall into the trap of trying too hard to be funny.
The lead actor reminds me of Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, although the film is obviously shooting for an Animal House type guy. His acting is passable, but the character is written with such juvenile angst that the comedy comes off awkward, even pathetic. In fact, most of the actors play well, but the over wrought screenplay sinks their efforts. Some one-liners are funny, but they're fired off with about as much subtlety as a cannon blast aimed at your face from six inches away. After several salvos of this heavy-handed delivery, the approach becomes a nuisance.
Why things are happening is never explained, only vaguely referenced. Consistency is non-existent: for example, bugs ruthlessly coordinate lethal attacks of walk-on characters with lethal precision, but suddenly can't seem to do anything right when it comes to killing off a lead character. Gruesome deaths are commonplace, and blood flows freely. Characters constantly argue over anything and everything, to a point where your ears start to bleed.
Watchable, but not in the same league as some movies of the horror/comedy blended genre.
Horror comedies can be done well (Lake Placid, Tremors, Anachnaphobia), but the director and writer better know what they're doing, since the balance of the two genres is difficult. This writer and director didn't quite have it. They fall into the trap of trying too hard to be funny.
The lead actor reminds me of Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, although the film is obviously shooting for an Animal House type guy. His acting is passable, but the character is written with such juvenile angst that the comedy comes off awkward, even pathetic. In fact, most of the actors play well, but the over wrought screenplay sinks their efforts. Some one-liners are funny, but they're fired off with about as much subtlety as a cannon blast aimed at your face from six inches away. After several salvos of this heavy-handed delivery, the approach becomes a nuisance.
Why things are happening is never explained, only vaguely referenced. Consistency is non-existent: for example, bugs ruthlessly coordinate lethal attacks of walk-on characters with lethal precision, but suddenly can't seem to do anything right when it comes to killing off a lead character. Gruesome deaths are commonplace, and blood flows freely. Characters constantly argue over anything and everything, to a point where your ears start to bleed.
Watchable, but not in the same league as some movies of the horror/comedy blended genre.
One of the Best Insect Movies
ashsdarr16 September 2009
I am a big supporter of indie films as i believe that they (not all) are films made in sincerity with a true belief in entertainment. This one blew me away. I got it from a friend and watched it with no expectations, but man was i impressed. The FX were excellent, kudos to Dilated Pixels for a great attempt. There were a few holes ,but hey this was probably made on a $10 budget, wow. I cant sing this movies praises enough. Kyle Rankin is name we will be seeing more often in the future and i truly hope he is not blinded by the big budgets that Hollywood may have to offer. If he remembers his roots (ala Christopher Nolan) success will follow him. The acting was superb the leads lead the rest followed. Camera work and score were totally in sync and the dialog was actually delivered with effort, great effort. The gore factor was there but not overplayed, so even the gore mongers would be satisfied. Sudden scares and unexpected "boos" will get you too. If you have an opportunity get this one, not to criticize what it couldn't afford to have but rather admire for what id did for what it had.
A creative bug flick that achieves its limited goals.
oneguyrambling5 January 2011
Anaconda gave us a giant snake. Lake Placid crocodiles. Tremors gave us giant underground worms. Boa Vs Cobra gave us ludicrous giant snakes. King Kong made us afraid of CGI monkeys. Deep Blue Sea gave us giant smart sharks. Arachnophobia gave us millions of spiders.
Infestation gives us giant bugs who have taken over the world, or at least part of it.
After some meaningless guff everyone who is gonna be in the film from here wakes up from an unexplained coma to find that the world has been overrun by giant bugs.
Most of our "heroes" awaken in an office building, where they are joined by other similarly confused punters. They decide to go outside...
Bad idea.
Plan 2 sees them joining up to head across town to the home of one of the characters, a guy named Cooper whose Dad is a crazed war veteran with an underground bunker where they should be safe.
Along the way the group end up as a 5-some, but really it is Cooper as the slacker office idiot and the daughter of his ex-boss (both because he was fired and because she was eaten) Sarah who matter, as from the start they are destined to be together. Sorry "the rest", you are all bug food!
Sarah is taken by the bugs just before they reach Cooper's pad, meaning he must save her before he turns on the lave lamp and throws all his best moves at her in his stale smelling bedroom where the walls are covered in posters (I'm just guessing he is like every other early 20s guy who still lives with his parents), so it is on to the nest!
Look this is a nice little low budget effort so the plot doesn't matter once you've read the People Vs Giant Bugs bit. There are some creative creature effects, most notably the "hybrid" creatures that seem to use unwilling humans as hosts. Being a low budget flick it is also good to see that they covered some of the bare minimum elements that such a film requires.
Those include:
* - Bad jokes.
* - Boobies.
* - Violence.
* - Funny and gross creatures.
I liked the ending too, all in all this is an ideal mid week rental. You don't have to think, your missus will shriek a couple times without ever being scared or too grossed out, and it doesn't really matter if she falls asleep half way through. It also tops out at under 90 minutes.
Final Rating - 5.5 / 10. No-one behind this is walking up the steps to get an Oscar, but a creative genre piece that achieves its limited goals.
Infestation gives us giant bugs who have taken over the world, or at least part of it.
After some meaningless guff everyone who is gonna be in the film from here wakes up from an unexplained coma to find that the world has been overrun by giant bugs.
Most of our "heroes" awaken in an office building, where they are joined by other similarly confused punters. They decide to go outside...
Bad idea.
Plan 2 sees them joining up to head across town to the home of one of the characters, a guy named Cooper whose Dad is a crazed war veteran with an underground bunker where they should be safe.
Along the way the group end up as a 5-some, but really it is Cooper as the slacker office idiot and the daughter of his ex-boss (both because he was fired and because she was eaten) Sarah who matter, as from the start they are destined to be together. Sorry "the rest", you are all bug food!
Sarah is taken by the bugs just before they reach Cooper's pad, meaning he must save her before he turns on the lave lamp and throws all his best moves at her in his stale smelling bedroom where the walls are covered in posters (I'm just guessing he is like every other early 20s guy who still lives with his parents), so it is on to the nest!
Look this is a nice little low budget effort so the plot doesn't matter once you've read the People Vs Giant Bugs bit. There are some creative creature effects, most notably the "hybrid" creatures that seem to use unwilling humans as hosts. Being a low budget flick it is also good to see that they covered some of the bare minimum elements that such a film requires.
Those include:
* - Bad jokes.
* - Boobies.
* - Violence.
* - Funny and gross creatures.
I liked the ending too, all in all this is an ideal mid week rental. You don't have to think, your missus will shriek a couple times without ever being scared or too grossed out, and it doesn't really matter if she falls asleep half way through. It also tops out at under 90 minutes.
Final Rating - 5.5 / 10. No-one behind this is walking up the steps to get an Oscar, but a creative genre piece that achieves its limited goals.
Infestation 2
madmax1_118 January 2020
Infestation is exactly what it was meant to be.
paulclaassen15 April 2023
Just as Cooper (Christopher Rodriguez Marquette) is about to get fired, him and his boss hear a screeching sound, and blacks out. When Cooper comes to again, he is in a cocoon. He finds the rest of his colleagues in cocoons as well and frees them, but he is attacked by a giant bug.
'Infestation' doesn't waste time before throwing the viewer into the deep end, with characters being attacked by giant bugs left, right and center. These bugs even attacks cars, and fly away with some of their victims. And so the ordeal starts for Cooper and a handful of survivors who go on the run trying to escape these bugs. The kill scenes are unsympathetic and intentionally funny.
It's like 'Skyline', but with bugs instead of aliens (ok, 'Infestation' was first, but 'Skyline' was more popular). Or wait, later characters even have zombie traits, so it becomes more like a zombie movie... but with bugs. This is a real B-movie so the bugs are not very realistic. They look like huge props. The acting is also your typical B-movie performances.
Look, although this is not a great movie, it serves its purpose well: it's entertaining. There's humour, there's a bit of horror, there's action, so yup, it is a lot of fun. If you're into this genre, though, I'd rather recommend 'Eight Legged Freaks', which was a hell of a lot more fun!
'Infestation' doesn't waste time before throwing the viewer into the deep end, with characters being attacked by giant bugs left, right and center. These bugs even attacks cars, and fly away with some of their victims. And so the ordeal starts for Cooper and a handful of survivors who go on the run trying to escape these bugs. The kill scenes are unsympathetic and intentionally funny.
It's like 'Skyline', but with bugs instead of aliens (ok, 'Infestation' was first, but 'Skyline' was more popular). Or wait, later characters even have zombie traits, so it becomes more like a zombie movie... but with bugs. This is a real B-movie so the bugs are not very realistic. They look like huge props. The acting is also your typical B-movie performances.
Look, although this is not a great movie, it serves its purpose well: it's entertaining. There's humour, there's a bit of horror, there's action, so yup, it is a lot of fun. If you're into this genre, though, I'd rather recommend 'Eight Legged Freaks', which was a hell of a lot more fun!
Better than expected, even with high expectations
VVarlock11 July 2009
No reviews yet for this little gem, so I'll go ahead.
I went in expecting a low budget campy horror B-movie and wow, I certainly did not expect a movie that good in overall.
Most of the actors are quite good, even the extras, and the main character and his entourage are surprisingly well developed for this kind of movie.
I wouldn't call the movie fast=paced, but the action in well maintained throughout and starts after less than 10 minutes, so no long buildup, the bugs are there at the beginning, you get to know more about them as the movie goes so there are no long boring explanations.
The CGI is very well done and keeps you in the movie and there are plenty of bugs of a few kinds.
But what really did the movie for me was the dark humor, think Shaun of the Dead, but with insects. Even if the movie has a serious tone, you always get some well done jokes here and there, mostly by the likable anti-hero that just seems to try so hard.
A must see for the horror/comedy fans and for the critters fans in general.
I went in expecting a low budget campy horror B-movie and wow, I certainly did not expect a movie that good in overall.
Most of the actors are quite good, even the extras, and the main character and his entourage are surprisingly well developed for this kind of movie.
I wouldn't call the movie fast=paced, but the action in well maintained throughout and starts after less than 10 minutes, so no long buildup, the bugs are there at the beginning, you get to know more about them as the movie goes so there are no long boring explanations.
The CGI is very well done and keeps you in the movie and there are plenty of bugs of a few kinds.
But what really did the movie for me was the dark humor, think Shaun of the Dead, but with insects. Even if the movie has a serious tone, you always get some well done jokes here and there, mostly by the likable anti-hero that just seems to try so hard.
A must see for the horror/comedy fans and for the critters fans in general.
I liked it
neil-ferguson170121 November 2019
Not Quite Good Enough to Be Awful
HeadMMoid8 August 2009
I had heard about this movie from friends, but didn't believe it could be as bad as they said. As usual, I was wrong. It was significantly worse.
The plot makes no sense. Nothing is explained from the very beginning. Characters are the expected lot of useless and/or dangerous morons surrounding a couple of heroes/heroines. The events in the entire movie are completely predictable after the first five minutes.
The movies didn't seem to be able to make up its mind whether it wanted to be a horror story, a satire, a comedy, or an action flick. Of course, it is none of them.
In many parts it was unclear whether the movie was attempting satire, or was simply suffering from utterly unimaginative writing. What might have been comedy seemed to come at unexpected or inappropriate moments, and may have been the result of poor direction or editing.
Overall, this is one of those movies which should never have left the cutting room.
The plot makes no sense. Nothing is explained from the very beginning. Characters are the expected lot of useless and/or dangerous morons surrounding a couple of heroes/heroines. The events in the entire movie are completely predictable after the first five minutes.
The movies didn't seem to be able to make up its mind whether it wanted to be a horror story, a satire, a comedy, or an action flick. Of course, it is none of them.
In many parts it was unclear whether the movie was attempting satire, or was simply suffering from utterly unimaginative writing. What might have been comedy seemed to come at unexpected or inappropriate moments, and may have been the result of poor direction or editing.
Overall, this is one of those movies which should never have left the cutting room.
An entertaining A-film pretending to be a B-film
amesmonde29 April 2013
Giant bugs attempt to take over the world.
Infestation is surprisingly not one of though cheap TV films, instead director Kyle Rankin delivers a well made piece of entertainment with some gross effects, great locations and cast. Sometimes the black comedic tone is inconsistence and a few effects work better than others. Nevertheless, the supporting cast are fine, Chris Marquette gives a good performance as the likably flawed anti-hero Cooper and Kinsey Packard's brief appearance as Cindy is notable. Ever reliable Ray Wise is on form.
It's road movie feel, the character trying to get from one place to another gives it a grounding and substantial atmosphere that many of the blockbuster films lack. While the ending is predicable there's enough gore moments and surprises to keep you entertained.
Overall it's good fun that's more A-film pretending to be a B-film like Tremors as appose to some DTV channel shlock.
Infestation is surprisingly not one of though cheap TV films, instead director Kyle Rankin delivers a well made piece of entertainment with some gross effects, great locations and cast. Sometimes the black comedic tone is inconsistence and a few effects work better than others. Nevertheless, the supporting cast are fine, Chris Marquette gives a good performance as the likably flawed anti-hero Cooper and Kinsey Packard's brief appearance as Cindy is notable. Ever reliable Ray Wise is on form.
It's road movie feel, the character trying to get from one place to another gives it a grounding and substantial atmosphere that many of the blockbuster films lack. While the ending is predicable there's enough gore moments and surprises to keep you entertained.
Overall it's good fun that's more A-film pretending to be a B-film like Tremors as appose to some DTV channel shlock.
It's a good time, but just lacks the spark to really make it count
I_Ailurophile23 December 2022
On the one hand, I'd have liked for the characters to have been written with a modicum of consistent intelligence - or for that matter, any consistency at all. On the other hand, protagonist Cooper, the stereotypical slacker, is written with too much intelligence. On the one hand, we get bursts of horror violence that alternate with situational humor, occasional cleverness in the dialogue, and precisely calculated moments of shock or upended expectations. On the other hand, too much of the dialogue is bad generally and unfunny specifically, and in some cases tries way too hard to Be Smart; the same applies to the scene writing. Pacing generally feels altogether "off," with some lag between gags or eventfulness, while in some cases the attempted zaniness goes overboard and becomes overbearing. (Also, there's no overlooking strains of ableism that are more consistent than the entertainment.) The practical effects are great; CGI is mostly much better than one would assume. 'Infestation' is well made from a technical standpoint, with fine work from all those behind the scenes including production design and art direction, yet struggles to find the right balance of elements, and comedic timing, to have optimal impact.
I like the cast, and they do their best, though the strength of the performances varies in kind with each scene. There are strong ideas in filmmaker Kyle Rankin's screenplay of both horror and comedy, with swell designs for the creatures and associated elements. I like Steven Gutheinz's score, even though it borrows a bit from Hans Zimmer, and Thomas E. Ackerman's cinematography; I think Rankin's direction is solid. Overall I think this is considerably stronger than not, and it's enjoyable on some level throughout the whole length. The issue is that its humor never actually earns any laughs, and its genre facets - however well done and imaginative - aren't enough to elicit meaningful thrills. It's a little smart, and a little witty, but not enough to attain more than a rather basic level of fun. Factor in broad inconsistencies, and I'm sad to say that I just kind of have a hard time with this. I do like 'Infestation,' to be clear, and for fans of the genre or of those involved it's worth checking out. There's no need to go out of your way for it, however, and there are other titles of a like thrust that provide more proverbial bang for one's buck. Personal preferences vary, of course; may you find this a more robustly pleasing viewing experience than I did.
I like the cast, and they do their best, though the strength of the performances varies in kind with each scene. There are strong ideas in filmmaker Kyle Rankin's screenplay of both horror and comedy, with swell designs for the creatures and associated elements. I like Steven Gutheinz's score, even though it borrows a bit from Hans Zimmer, and Thomas E. Ackerman's cinematography; I think Rankin's direction is solid. Overall I think this is considerably stronger than not, and it's enjoyable on some level throughout the whole length. The issue is that its humor never actually earns any laughs, and its genre facets - however well done and imaginative - aren't enough to elicit meaningful thrills. It's a little smart, and a little witty, but not enough to attain more than a rather basic level of fun. Factor in broad inconsistencies, and I'm sad to say that I just kind of have a hard time with this. I do like 'Infestation,' to be clear, and for fans of the genre or of those involved it's worth checking out. There's no need to go out of your way for it, however, and there are other titles of a like thrust that provide more proverbial bang for one's buck. Personal preferences vary, of course; may you find this a more robustly pleasing viewing experience than I did.
A reasonably fun big-bug B-movie.
BA_Harrison27 March 2016
Irresponsible slacker Cooper (Chris Marquette) is in the process of getting fired from his crappy job when a strange noise renders him unconscious. Waking up several days later, wrapped in webbing, he frees himself only to discover that giant insects have cocooned everyone for miles around, storing them for food. After freeing several other immobilised individuals, including his boss's sexy daughter Sara (Brooke Nevin), Cooper and company set out to locate their nearest and dearest.
Oversized insects have been terrorising the world of movies ever since the '50s; Infestation doesn't offer anything particularly new to the genre, warming up a hodge-podge of ingredients borrowed from many a big bug movie (Starship Troopers and Eight Legged Freaks automatically spring to mind).
The resultant narrative is a bit of a mess, hindered by awkward editing, pointless exchanges of dialogue that affect the pacing, and plot threads which end abruptly; however, plenty of huge chitinous creatures (including several cool human/insect hybrids), a likable cast, a smattering of gore, and even a spot of gratuitous female nudity (courtesy of blonde weather girl Cindy, played by Kinsey Packard) ensure that Infestation proves to be a reasonably enjoyable slice of B-movie nonsense nonetheless.
Oversized insects have been terrorising the world of movies ever since the '50s; Infestation doesn't offer anything particularly new to the genre, warming up a hodge-podge of ingredients borrowed from many a big bug movie (Starship Troopers and Eight Legged Freaks automatically spring to mind).
The resultant narrative is a bit of a mess, hindered by awkward editing, pointless exchanges of dialogue that affect the pacing, and plot threads which end abruptly; however, plenty of huge chitinous creatures (including several cool human/insect hybrids), a likable cast, a smattering of gore, and even a spot of gratuitous female nudity (courtesy of blonde weather girl Cindy, played by Kinsey Packard) ensure that Infestation proves to be a reasonably enjoyable slice of B-movie nonsense nonetheless.
Amateurish At Best
cihank18 October 2009
This movie looks like it has been made by a bunch of high school kids with too much time in their hands. The acting is awful, the special effects are awkward and uninteresting, and the plot is just plain idiotic.
The way the characters react to their unexpected situation (finding themselves in the middle of the invasion of earth by man-sized bugs) is completely unrealistic; there's no shock and no apparent fear. They just wake up and say, "Oh, this is bad. So what's next?" I wasn't expecting a miracle before I began watching, bu still I was sorely disappointed.
Go read a book or something. Don't waste your time with this trash.
The way the characters react to their unexpected situation (finding themselves in the middle of the invasion of earth by man-sized bugs) is completely unrealistic; there's no shock and no apparent fear. They just wake up and say, "Oh, this is bad. So what's next?" I wasn't expecting a miracle before I began watching, bu still I was sorely disappointed.
Go read a book or something. Don't waste your time with this trash.
Fun with bugs .............
merklekranz22 October 2009
Pretty good combination of jumbo bugs on the loose and grin inducing dialog. The acting ranges from totally acceptable (Christopher Marquette, Ray Wise) to borderline annoying (pick any female). The simplistic story starts with everybody already webbed, and no explanation is given as to where the winged annoyances came from. Similar to one of the better Sci-fi Channel films (Pterodactyl), in that the romantic interest, gets carried off into the sky, winds up in a nest, needing to be rescued. The half human, half insect creatures, cockroach types, and flying bugs are quite well done. "Infestation" is a fast moving, park logic at the curb, winner of a film. - MERK
You'll be infected alright.
thesar-25 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Call it either false advertising or that I just didn't get 98.5% of the humor, but Infestation is not the Arachnophobia of the beetles.
I admit I chose Infestation due to my love of When Animals Attack/Creature Features, especially tongue in cheek ones. I like this genre that generally doesn't take itself too seriously, is actually funny and never intends to be a Syfy movie of the week – those are the absolute worse and they're never even "so-bad-it's-good." I admit, this one had me at Christopher (or Chris) Marquette whom I've liked (yes, like) since Freddy Vs. Jason. (My bad, even I choose movies at times for good looking actors. Yes, a flaw, but I wouldn't have, in the case of Infestation, if it didn't have all the right advertising associated with it.)
And this is my punishment. A horribly – make that TERRIBLY – edited mess of a low budget B-Movie that yearned to be more, but never had heart. That is, aside from actress Brooke Nevin who had the most drive. I don't want to knock Marquette, and he gave it his all; really, he did try. And I don't think it was his fault. It appeared that he and the writer/director was not on the same page when it came to who his character really was. I can see better coming from him, much like what I saw in Heath Ledger's early films. Also, it was incredibly unfunny. I smirked once. And I recognized where the "humor" was supposed to be, and my suspicion was the shoddy editing job took a lot of the intentions away.
Sure, I wasn't expecting a horror classic, but from the (false) advertising, I was expecting at least a good and fun time with an updated bug B-Movie. I feel sorry for the actors, aside from the rancid acting by Kinsey Packard, who played Cindy, the "pretty blonde & stripping weathergirl." Bleahh. At least the rest of the cast did try and move the story along. They seemed like they believed in the project and writer/director – so Kudos to them.
What starts off as a normal day in Nowhere, USA (but, of course, filmed overseas,) Nobody Cooper (Marquette) heads into work to slack and get fired. Just then, a loud pitching noise causes everyone to be "webbed" for several days. Cooper awakes and frees himself I'll stop here.
#1: They begin with the cocooning shot, I'm guessing for effect of what's to come, but there was no "Several days earlier" statement because following is that same scene is the normal setting in the same room. I could follow what had happened: They begin in the "present" where humans are imprisoned, jump back three or so days to immediately before the bugs initially attack and then continue on as Cooper awakens. You still should give us some indication on where the timeline is. #2: What's not explained, possibly due to budget – but I blame the editing, again, is how or why Cooper is the only person to be able to break free all by himself and awake from the spell the bugs placed on humans. But, I digress it is a B-Movie about giant bugs after all
Cooper is quickly introduced to a giant beetle of sorts, fights, lives and frees a couple of people trapped by bug-webs. Then, he meets his destiny girl, who, in the same scene, loses her mother and gives her a little bit of depth. The following segments fall into the typical scenarios of these types of films: blindsided by extraordinary and catastrophic events, humans try and figure out what's happen, humans fighting amongst themselves and occasionally their advisories and the road trip begins. (By the way, I don't blame the movie for being cliché and obvious. In fact, I love this part of these When Animals Attack movies. Infestation didn't do a bad job here, though it wasn't all that interesting, nonetheless.)
Along the road journey, they continue to break down, fight each other more, fight the winged and ground bug troops and discover more of the bug's vicious plans while developing a master plan of their own to defeat the beasts. The road's rocky involving some incredibly odd ideas, scenes, boring subplots and so-called "depth" – Oh, father, accept me!
Oh, and if I haven't spoiled enough – perhaps, I actually helped you here to avoid this picture – there's not an explanation of the big bad bugs. That said, I'm not upset with them not clarifying the origin of the hive or bugs. It happens in both big budgeted films as well as Near-Zero direct-to-DVD films. Mostly the latter, due to budget restraints. In either case, generally it adds to the tension, mystery or fears. Here, by the end of the film, the thought of where these bugs came from, or why they were here, or how did they suddenly appear without warning, never came to mind. I just wanted it to end.
And when it did end it finishes on such a WTF? final shot, I was forced to listen to some the audio commentary to learn a little more. Hilariously, I haven't heard so many apologies from an audio commentary track since Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Thankfully, the director/writer focused a lot of his regret on the editing process; at least he acknowledged that. Well, that, and his love/lust for beautiful women and breasts. Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate any more on the finale than what I already assumed. It just needed a few more seconds and possibly another buck fifty over-budget on the special effects.
Despite all the efforts – namely the actors and the FX crew didn't do that bad of a job – it's a SKIP. I think all parties will evolve. So, let's wait until then.
I admit I chose Infestation due to my love of When Animals Attack/Creature Features, especially tongue in cheek ones. I like this genre that generally doesn't take itself too seriously, is actually funny and never intends to be a Syfy movie of the week – those are the absolute worse and they're never even "so-bad-it's-good." I admit, this one had me at Christopher (or Chris) Marquette whom I've liked (yes, like) since Freddy Vs. Jason. (My bad, even I choose movies at times for good looking actors. Yes, a flaw, but I wouldn't have, in the case of Infestation, if it didn't have all the right advertising associated with it.)
And this is my punishment. A horribly – make that TERRIBLY – edited mess of a low budget B-Movie that yearned to be more, but never had heart. That is, aside from actress Brooke Nevin who had the most drive. I don't want to knock Marquette, and he gave it his all; really, he did try. And I don't think it was his fault. It appeared that he and the writer/director was not on the same page when it came to who his character really was. I can see better coming from him, much like what I saw in Heath Ledger's early films. Also, it was incredibly unfunny. I smirked once. And I recognized where the "humor" was supposed to be, and my suspicion was the shoddy editing job took a lot of the intentions away.
Sure, I wasn't expecting a horror classic, but from the (false) advertising, I was expecting at least a good and fun time with an updated bug B-Movie. I feel sorry for the actors, aside from the rancid acting by Kinsey Packard, who played Cindy, the "pretty blonde & stripping weathergirl." Bleahh. At least the rest of the cast did try and move the story along. They seemed like they believed in the project and writer/director – so Kudos to them.
What starts off as a normal day in Nowhere, USA (but, of course, filmed overseas,) Nobody Cooper (Marquette) heads into work to slack and get fired. Just then, a loud pitching noise causes everyone to be "webbed" for several days. Cooper awakes and frees himself I'll stop here.
#1: They begin with the cocooning shot, I'm guessing for effect of what's to come, but there was no "Several days earlier" statement because following is that same scene is the normal setting in the same room. I could follow what had happened: They begin in the "present" where humans are imprisoned, jump back three or so days to immediately before the bugs initially attack and then continue on as Cooper awakens. You still should give us some indication on where the timeline is. #2: What's not explained, possibly due to budget – but I blame the editing, again, is how or why Cooper is the only person to be able to break free all by himself and awake from the spell the bugs placed on humans. But, I digress it is a B-Movie about giant bugs after all
Cooper is quickly introduced to a giant beetle of sorts, fights, lives and frees a couple of people trapped by bug-webs. Then, he meets his destiny girl, who, in the same scene, loses her mother and gives her a little bit of depth. The following segments fall into the typical scenarios of these types of films: blindsided by extraordinary and catastrophic events, humans try and figure out what's happen, humans fighting amongst themselves and occasionally their advisories and the road trip begins. (By the way, I don't blame the movie for being cliché and obvious. In fact, I love this part of these When Animals Attack movies. Infestation didn't do a bad job here, though it wasn't all that interesting, nonetheless.)
Along the road journey, they continue to break down, fight each other more, fight the winged and ground bug troops and discover more of the bug's vicious plans while developing a master plan of their own to defeat the beasts. The road's rocky involving some incredibly odd ideas, scenes, boring subplots and so-called "depth" – Oh, father, accept me!
Oh, and if I haven't spoiled enough – perhaps, I actually helped you here to avoid this picture – there's not an explanation of the big bad bugs. That said, I'm not upset with them not clarifying the origin of the hive or bugs. It happens in both big budgeted films as well as Near-Zero direct-to-DVD films. Mostly the latter, due to budget restraints. In either case, generally it adds to the tension, mystery or fears. Here, by the end of the film, the thought of where these bugs came from, or why they were here, or how did they suddenly appear without warning, never came to mind. I just wanted it to end.
And when it did end it finishes on such a WTF? final shot, I was forced to listen to some the audio commentary to learn a little more. Hilariously, I haven't heard so many apologies from an audio commentary track since Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Thankfully, the director/writer focused a lot of his regret on the editing process; at least he acknowledged that. Well, that, and his love/lust for beautiful women and breasts. Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate any more on the finale than what I already assumed. It just needed a few more seconds and possibly another buck fifty over-budget on the special effects.
Despite all the efforts – namely the actors and the FX crew didn't do that bad of a job – it's a SKIP. I think all parties will evolve. So, let's wait until then.
Bites Good
Tweetienator3 February 2019
If you like a mix of horror and of comedy this one is for you: giant insects attack our world and a new hero is born - a office worker and some of his colleagues/friends take on the fight for survival.
No new classic but a good one timer.
No new classic but a good one timer.
B-Movie thrills as bugs take over the Earth...
ajs-1025 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I hadn't heard anything about this film before I saw it. This made for quite an interesting viewing experience. Set in a town somewhere in America, Cooper, a bit of a waster, is about to be fired from his job when a piercing noise knocks everyone out
Cooper wakes up to find himself covered in some kind of white webbing. He pulls it off himself only to be confronted by a three foot long insect that immediately attacks him. Having fought several of these bugs off, he goes and finds his boss, Maureen, who is disorientated. They figure out they have been out for several days and Maureen suddenly remembers her daughter, Sara, was outside in a car. Cooper goes outside to get her but Maureen follows and is crying out when she is suddenly taken away by a flying bug. Cooper and Sara make it to a diner and, having woken everyone up there, decide to go to his father's house, about a days' walk away. They also discover that the bugs can't see, they only react to sound, so it's very important to stay quiet. The group consists of Cooper, Sara, Cindy (a weather girl), Hugo & Albert (father & son) and Leechee (a student). The set off and make it to another building before nightfall. Cooper makes it no secret he's interested in Sara, but she rebuffs his attentions. They decide to capture one of the bugs and test its venom. Leechee does the test and they find it's mostly a sedative. The next morning they move on but Leechee stays behind to wake more people and study the bugs further. The journey is dangerous and more revelations are to be made, but I'll stop here, don't want to give too much away!
I was quite surprised, for a B-movie type film, it's pretty well made. The effects, although not the best, aren't all that bad. The dialogue could have done with a bit more work, but there were one or two good one-liners in there. Decent performances from all of the main cast, honourable mentions go to Chris Marquette as Cooper, Brooke Nevin as Sara, Kinsey Packard as Cindy, E. Quincy Sloan as Hugo, Wesley Thompson as Albert, Linda Park as Leechee and Ray Wise as Ethan (he had the best comedy lines).
This wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't great either. I think the main problem was I didn't particularly like Cooper at the beginning, he grew on me as the film progressed, but I still didn't find him particularly likable. Also, the big fight at the end was a bit of a let down. So, over all, it's got a few laughs, the CGI is pretty good but it has some poor effects towards the end. Not bad, but not great.
My score: 5.3/10
Cooper wakes up to find himself covered in some kind of white webbing. He pulls it off himself only to be confronted by a three foot long insect that immediately attacks him. Having fought several of these bugs off, he goes and finds his boss, Maureen, who is disorientated. They figure out they have been out for several days and Maureen suddenly remembers her daughter, Sara, was outside in a car. Cooper goes outside to get her but Maureen follows and is crying out when she is suddenly taken away by a flying bug. Cooper and Sara make it to a diner and, having woken everyone up there, decide to go to his father's house, about a days' walk away. They also discover that the bugs can't see, they only react to sound, so it's very important to stay quiet. The group consists of Cooper, Sara, Cindy (a weather girl), Hugo & Albert (father & son) and Leechee (a student). The set off and make it to another building before nightfall. Cooper makes it no secret he's interested in Sara, but she rebuffs his attentions. They decide to capture one of the bugs and test its venom. Leechee does the test and they find it's mostly a sedative. The next morning they move on but Leechee stays behind to wake more people and study the bugs further. The journey is dangerous and more revelations are to be made, but I'll stop here, don't want to give too much away!
I was quite surprised, for a B-movie type film, it's pretty well made. The effects, although not the best, aren't all that bad. The dialogue could have done with a bit more work, but there were one or two good one-liners in there. Decent performances from all of the main cast, honourable mentions go to Chris Marquette as Cooper, Brooke Nevin as Sara, Kinsey Packard as Cindy, E. Quincy Sloan as Hugo, Wesley Thompson as Albert, Linda Park as Leechee and Ray Wise as Ethan (he had the best comedy lines).
This wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't great either. I think the main problem was I didn't particularly like Cooper at the beginning, he grew on me as the film progressed, but I still didn't find him particularly likable. Also, the big fight at the end was a bit of a let down. So, over all, it's got a few laughs, the CGI is pretty good but it has some poor effects towards the end. Not bad, but not great.
My score: 5.3/10
When Giant Insects Attack!
PKazee11 July 2009
This "giant bugs attack" comedy is a blast of fun. In the middle of getting fired from a job he took in a reluctant effort to please his dear ol' dad (a wonderfully gung-ho, Ray Wise), an unmotivated goof-off is knocked unconscious by a painfully loud and high-pitched banshee-like siren. When he awakes, he finds himself and - seemingly everyone else in the world - sealed up inside cocoons. Breaking free, he wakes up several of his office mates and somehow ends up leading them in a dangerous crosstown trek toward safer environs, battling - and outwitting - giant murderous bugs - and worse - all the way. Direction and performances are all excellent, as are the bugs and various other odd creatures.
Students of shiatsu massage kick bottoms!
p-stepien16 October 2011
On a typical workday deadbeat mild-mannered goofster Cooper (Chris Marquette) shows up at work. Late. Again. And in a whole lot of trouble for badmouthing clients. Again. Just as soon as he shows up at work he get the long-deserved can by his boss... only for a loud noise to knock them unconscious. Cooper wakes up a few days later wrapped in an insect's web. After freeing himself and fighting off an overgrown dung-beetle he manages to rescue a group of rag-tag individuals, who now have to survive in a world overtaken by giant insects.
Never one to expect much from a sci-fi channel movie I was quick off my blocks to disregard this one as a certified turd. The opening sequence surprised me as to the special effects quality, which were much more decent than average low-budget productions. Then we are quickly introduced to Chris Marquette's character, a amiable slacker with a unabashed level of charm to him. Being the focal point of the movie it sure does help that Chris does such a bang up job at making you fond of him within the opening five minutes. However admirably the movie jumps on you unexpected it does have a few gaping plot holes the size of the infestation's nest. The least of which is the supposed blindness of the insects. Nonetheless this is one of those tongue-in-cheek movies, which manages to go the distance at endearing its audience, so all such flaws are easily forgiven.
It may not be the funniest comedy horror at there and at times it does feel like a sub-par TV movie, but the overall enjoyment shows that "Infestation" manages to pull off what it aimed at. It won't become a classic or be covered in glory, but the director has to be commended for almost flawlessly executing the game-plan and delivering a sweet, charming monster flick for an entertaining Saturday evening.
The movie ends with a real cliffhanger and I for one will be sure to check up the follow-up to this below-the-radar little gem.
Never one to expect much from a sci-fi channel movie I was quick off my blocks to disregard this one as a certified turd. The opening sequence surprised me as to the special effects quality, which were much more decent than average low-budget productions. Then we are quickly introduced to Chris Marquette's character, a amiable slacker with a unabashed level of charm to him. Being the focal point of the movie it sure does help that Chris does such a bang up job at making you fond of him within the opening five minutes. However admirably the movie jumps on you unexpected it does have a few gaping plot holes the size of the infestation's nest. The least of which is the supposed blindness of the insects. Nonetheless this is one of those tongue-in-cheek movies, which manages to go the distance at endearing its audience, so all such flaws are easily forgiven.
It may not be the funniest comedy horror at there and at times it does feel like a sub-par TV movie, but the overall enjoyment shows that "Infestation" manages to pull off what it aimed at. It won't become a classic or be covered in glory, but the director has to be commended for almost flawlessly executing the game-plan and delivering a sweet, charming monster flick for an entertaining Saturday evening.
The movie ends with a real cliffhanger and I for one will be sure to check up the follow-up to this below-the-radar little gem.
There was no story
hellholehorror17 October 2017
The CGI looks a little cheap but it is effective. There's nothing too exciting too look at except for the giant bugs. Not the best mix by a long shot. Also not the worst. The bass was pretty poor and dialogue not appropriately prioritised. Then again it did the job, used the surround and was never bad. There was no story! It was just giant bugs and people trying to survive them. It wasn't that funny, they are much funnier monster movies. It starts very quickly indeed. It's pretty forgettable. The ending was very annoying. Not a brilliant film, it is just a film with giant bugs and silly gore.
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