When I saw the previews for this movie, I thought it was going to be something very similar to Deep Rising. It actually turned out to be more similar to 1981's made for TV movie, "The Intruder Within" crossed with "Event Horizon". While the movie had the potential to be good and the storyline could have been embellished upon to give this movie a decent plot and more care could have been taken to give the movie more believability...it just wasn't done right.
First the creature in this movie is CGI...but not your ordinary high end CGI like that used in higher budget films, but rather the cartoonish like CGI that you see in video games. You can easily tell it is "fake" and it destroys the credibility of the film. This is true of certain scenes as well such as far away shots of the oil rig and other items.
Another thing I was set back by was that several scenes from this film were literally lifted right from the movie Virus.
***Plot Spoiler Ahead*** (skip below to **** if you do not want to read what follows) There is a large 3 dish antenna research vessel which is the same ship used in Virus. While the far away shot was not clear, you could make out that the ship had three words to it's name. The movie has the ship with a single word name. The ship gets blown up about 15mins or so into the movie...those scenes too were lifted from Virus. Next is the boat that was used buy the cast to get to the oil rig. It is none other than the very "Sea Star" from Virus as well. In the movie you can clearly see that much of the boat is laid out the same way as it was in Virus. Also the the boat also 'conveniently' happens to be towing a barge of supplies through a hurricane. The barge gets flooded and has to be cut free. Again many scenes were lifted from Virus.
Once the actors from the boat reach the oil rig, there is a scene where they walk from outside to inside. It looks very fake and artificial as the oil rig is made from the same cartoonish GGI as the monster is in the movie.
Once inside the rig, one by one the crew of the Sea Star notices that the rig appears to be abandoned. In their search for the truth at what went on...one by one the crew experiences the creature. The creature, which is basically a CGI Octopus at best, has telepathic powers and can make people hallucinate ala "Event Horizon". Naturally it separates and lures people away from the main group and it shows them what they want. Once close enough, it goes for the kill. The kill strike is laughable at times. But some of the cut scenes to the crews "inner thoughts" are laughable and in many cases shouldn't belong. Such as the first scene where the creature uses it's telepathy to lure one individual by showing him a very 'chesty' woman that strips for him. It just didn't belong.
The whole premise of the oil rig drillers originally finding the creature was pretty much lifted from "The Intruder Within". A highly radio active specimen is found, brought to the surface in a containment envelope. The container is damaged and the creature escapes to do it's thing. It is just something seen too often.
**** (Ok it is safe now).
While the movie did have a good premise and plot, I just felt it was executed so poorly it just had me asking why was the time wasted to make it in the first place.
If you are seriously into a monster chasing people in a confined space, check out "Deep Rising" instead. It is vastly superior. Next take a look at "The Intruder Within". While not a very good film in itself...it too ranks one up on this film.
If you would still like to see this film, do not make the mistake I did and rent it or get it on PPV, rather wait until it comes to Sci-Fi channel or regular TV.
The movie is somewhat viewer friendly as there are very few bloody or gory scenes. However, there are sexually explicit scenes and nudity, so it definitely not a family oriented film. But more then likely if the film reaches regular cable or broadcast TV, these offending parts will be hacked out.
I give the film a 2 because some of the acting was OK and the story, while clichéd, could have amounted to something really good if the film created really applied themselves (or had a bigger budget). But it is for that same reason,why the movie never really delivers and it's fake looking CGI which pretty much puts it on the bottom of the barrel for me. As I said before...this is one of those films that leaves you wondering why it was made in the first place.
First the creature in this movie is CGI...but not your ordinary high end CGI like that used in higher budget films, but rather the cartoonish like CGI that you see in video games. You can easily tell it is "fake" and it destroys the credibility of the film. This is true of certain scenes as well such as far away shots of the oil rig and other items.
Another thing I was set back by was that several scenes from this film were literally lifted right from the movie Virus.
***Plot Spoiler Ahead*** (skip below to **** if you do not want to read what follows) There is a large 3 dish antenna research vessel which is the same ship used in Virus. While the far away shot was not clear, you could make out that the ship had three words to it's name. The movie has the ship with a single word name. The ship gets blown up about 15mins or so into the movie...those scenes too were lifted from Virus. Next is the boat that was used buy the cast to get to the oil rig. It is none other than the very "Sea Star" from Virus as well. In the movie you can clearly see that much of the boat is laid out the same way as it was in Virus. Also the the boat also 'conveniently' happens to be towing a barge of supplies through a hurricane. The barge gets flooded and has to be cut free. Again many scenes were lifted from Virus.
Once the actors from the boat reach the oil rig, there is a scene where they walk from outside to inside. It looks very fake and artificial as the oil rig is made from the same cartoonish GGI as the monster is in the movie.
Once inside the rig, one by one the crew of the Sea Star notices that the rig appears to be abandoned. In their search for the truth at what went on...one by one the crew experiences the creature. The creature, which is basically a CGI Octopus at best, has telepathic powers and can make people hallucinate ala "Event Horizon". Naturally it separates and lures people away from the main group and it shows them what they want. Once close enough, it goes for the kill. The kill strike is laughable at times. But some of the cut scenes to the crews "inner thoughts" are laughable and in many cases shouldn't belong. Such as the first scene where the creature uses it's telepathy to lure one individual by showing him a very 'chesty' woman that strips for him. It just didn't belong.
The whole premise of the oil rig drillers originally finding the creature was pretty much lifted from "The Intruder Within". A highly radio active specimen is found, brought to the surface in a containment envelope. The container is damaged and the creature escapes to do it's thing. It is just something seen too often.
**** (Ok it is safe now).
While the movie did have a good premise and plot, I just felt it was executed so poorly it just had me asking why was the time wasted to make it in the first place.
If you are seriously into a monster chasing people in a confined space, check out "Deep Rising" instead. It is vastly superior. Next take a look at "The Intruder Within". While not a very good film in itself...it too ranks one up on this film.
If you would still like to see this film, do not make the mistake I did and rent it or get it on PPV, rather wait until it comes to Sci-Fi channel or regular TV.
The movie is somewhat viewer friendly as there are very few bloody or gory scenes. However, there are sexually explicit scenes and nudity, so it definitely not a family oriented film. But more then likely if the film reaches regular cable or broadcast TV, these offending parts will be hacked out.
I give the film a 2 because some of the acting was OK and the story, while clichéd, could have amounted to something really good if the film created really applied themselves (or had a bigger budget). But it is for that same reason,why the movie never really delivers and it's fake looking CGI which pretty much puts it on the bottom of the barrel for me. As I said before...this is one of those films that leaves you wondering why it was made in the first place.