It's not lost on me that the very premise of this little romp borrows major plot elements from Pixar's superhero flick 'The Incredibles' that had been released a couple years prior. Nor is there any missing the rather astonishing list of names involved here - many very famous, some rather infamous; one wonders how they were all brought together in this case. But then, who can resist a silly little genre piece? It's an easy paycheck for the participants, an excuse for them to work together, and a minor delight for the audience, no matter the resulting quality. It's certainly what drew me in. Sure, it's cheesy and overdone, and the more we get to see of the CGI, the less seamless it is. But isn't that the whole point? 'Shockwave,' also known as 'A. I. assault,' is an unapologetic celebration of low-grade sci-fi schlock, and I don't think we'd want it any other way.
Dialogue, scene writing, characters, plot development (from the very start!), the narrative at large, effects, editing, cinematography, direction: a preponderance of this movie is blithely curt and direct. I wouldn't say that these elements are forced, which is a welcome change of pace from like fare, but they're definitely unbothered about any sense of fastidiousness or judiciousness in film-making or storytelling. It is what it wants to be, we get what we get; in fairness, not least with filmmaker Jim Wynorski on hand, I don't think anyone could expect otherwise. With this said, I don't think there's any arguing that the cast are having a great time, especially as the material requires so little of them (including screen time - what do you expect from a feature about killer robots?). It's not that anyone gives a bad performance, only that they act in accordance with what the feature demands, which mostly means much brusqueness, overacting, and chewing of scenery. If you could have a job where you get to employ your skills but not to any taxing degree, wouldn't you take it?
Here's the thing: there's no mistaking 'Shockwave' for anything other than the B-movie that it is, or the TV movie that it is. This is at best a second-tier sci-fi action flick, but it also carries no pretenses about being something it's not. I can understand how such pictures don't appeal to many viewers; this is the sort of thing you watch on a lazy day, something to watch in the background to relax, something you don't need to actively engage with. Is there anything wrong with this? I don't think so. In fact, so long as one is willing to engage with the feature on its level, I think this is reasonably well made, and nowhere near as bad as its broad reception would seem to portend. I've seen the bottom of the barrel, and this is nowhere near it. 'Shockwave' might be blunt and forthright, low-budget, and less than perfectly discriminating about best authenticity and value, but none of it is accidental or sloppy. Save for the modern production values, sensibilities about violence, and big name stars - and Chuck Cirino's score, which I rather like - in all the important ways, I'm reminded of 50s genre fare more than anything else; take that as you will.
Even if you're especially enamored of such movies, by no means should one go out of their way for this. It's quite enjoyable, but only on a particular level, and there's no shortage of like-minded sci-fi kin that are just as if not more deserving of one's time. For that matter, it's surely most recommendable specifically for those who are major fans of someone involved. All the same, if you happen to come across 'Shockwave,' this is a fun little lark, and a half-decent way to spend 90 lazy minutes.
Dialogue, scene writing, characters, plot development (from the very start!), the narrative at large, effects, editing, cinematography, direction: a preponderance of this movie is blithely curt and direct. I wouldn't say that these elements are forced, which is a welcome change of pace from like fare, but they're definitely unbothered about any sense of fastidiousness or judiciousness in film-making or storytelling. It is what it wants to be, we get what we get; in fairness, not least with filmmaker Jim Wynorski on hand, I don't think anyone could expect otherwise. With this said, I don't think there's any arguing that the cast are having a great time, especially as the material requires so little of them (including screen time - what do you expect from a feature about killer robots?). It's not that anyone gives a bad performance, only that they act in accordance with what the feature demands, which mostly means much brusqueness, overacting, and chewing of scenery. If you could have a job where you get to employ your skills but not to any taxing degree, wouldn't you take it?
Here's the thing: there's no mistaking 'Shockwave' for anything other than the B-movie that it is, or the TV movie that it is. This is at best a second-tier sci-fi action flick, but it also carries no pretenses about being something it's not. I can understand how such pictures don't appeal to many viewers; this is the sort of thing you watch on a lazy day, something to watch in the background to relax, something you don't need to actively engage with. Is there anything wrong with this? I don't think so. In fact, so long as one is willing to engage with the feature on its level, I think this is reasonably well made, and nowhere near as bad as its broad reception would seem to portend. I've seen the bottom of the barrel, and this is nowhere near it. 'Shockwave' might be blunt and forthright, low-budget, and less than perfectly discriminating about best authenticity and value, but none of it is accidental or sloppy. Save for the modern production values, sensibilities about violence, and big name stars - and Chuck Cirino's score, which I rather like - in all the important ways, I'm reminded of 50s genre fare more than anything else; take that as you will.
Even if you're especially enamored of such movies, by no means should one go out of their way for this. It's quite enjoyable, but only on a particular level, and there's no shortage of like-minded sci-fi kin that are just as if not more deserving of one's time. For that matter, it's surely most recommendable specifically for those who are major fans of someone involved. All the same, if you happen to come across 'Shockwave,' this is a fun little lark, and a half-decent way to spend 90 lazy minutes.