Reviews

The film addresses the subject of a benevolent world government. The fact that the rulers are aliens seems unimportant. The achievement of paradise has haunted philosophers for centuries. Unfortunately, the film glosses over these troubling issues. Peace is achieved by removing the wall between Israel and Palestine. Saudi oil is no longer needed, so their pipelines are used to irrigate Africa?

No great thought was given to the most minor issues. The script isn't great, and there aren't too many likable characters. We will see how part two goes. But if the introductory episode fails, how will they be able to tackle the "meat" of the story?

A nonsensical story that has little humor or wit. There's little to be gained from pointing out all the silliness as one example should suffice. In order for Townes's plot to work, he would have to "keep" Inger Stevens until the caddy patsy is executed. Exactly how long would that take?

And the resolution is quite simply stupid. With over 200 episodes to chose from this one is a must-miss. What a waste of the beautiful Inger Stevens.

I was on the fence about renting this until I saw Emma Roberts was in it. Was I disappointed.

That said, other reviewers have pointed out that the film takes shots at both sides but neglect to say that it eventually comes down on the elites side. There are a few nuances other viewers have missed. The 12 were chosen because they spread a false conspiracy story about some liberal elites. The ensuing uproar cost the elites their jobs and ruins their lives. This seem a bit far fetched but we will let that slide.

Our heroine, mistakenly believed to be a deplorable, is a stand-in for those of us caught in between two crazy fractions.But the film can't be completely fair. Yes, the elites are portrayed as pretentious buffoons. (The bit about the posion sda is hilarious). On the other side, Don is a stark raving bigot. Even-handness? Not so much. But the ending where Athena is compared to Snowball from Animal Farm comes out of nowhere.The film had a chance to be an interesting satire on today's society but in the end fails.

The obviousness of the film's message has been stated by other reviewers. And, sadly, it is presented in such a simplistic way that could/should only appeal to a limited audience. If you are a proponent of American foreign policy, you will enjoy this movie. The soldiers are about as stereotypical as one can get. The aliens, able to cross vast distances of space, can't shoot straight. The Mid-Easterns, in a slightly different touch, are both portrayed as allies of non-humans and brainwashed. The attempted brainwashing of an American, naturally, fails to take hold, and then he begs to die instead of betraying his comrades. And so on. The unintentionally funny part comes at the end of the film. The film is dedicated to the under-appreciated men who protect us from these non-humans. In what world does this filmmaker live? Under-appreciated? Americans worship the military. So, if you are in the mood for some nationalistic war-mongering, this is a film for you. But anyone who suggests that this is a thought-provoking, intelligent film is misleading you.

I am surprised though perhaps I shouldn't be by the rabid dislike of the film by some reviewers. Apparently any film which remotely suggest the existence of a higher being sets them off. I found the film to be rather fair, showing the offsetting views of Fr. Oliver and the atheist Mr.Hashimoto whose character is much more sympathetic than a Christian character would be in most other films of our day.

My problems with the film lie elsewhere. 1) David Henrie's character seems to undergo an enlightenment during the course of the film, but little explanation or cause is given. 2) Why does the father go to war when the son can't? His duty to his country? What about his duty to his family? What about the commandment: Thou shall not kill? It is assumed here that joining the war was the only thing to do. 3) The movie seems to indicate the dropping of the A-Bombs were necessary to end the war, this is nonsense despite what most Americans believe. 4) I should watch the ending again because it seemed like the mistaken identity was due to the fact Busbee carried his dog tags in his boots? This would seem to be both uncomfortable and most likely.

Sadly this had the potential to be a top-notch movie but falls short because of plot holes and ducking the hard questions. Some reviewers liked this film more than I did and I understand that. But if you are looking for a film to watch with your family this one is one of the more interesting ones because it raise some issues which you won't see in standard Hollywood fare.