Alien Raiders

This low budget but impressive little sci fi horror flick from Warner home video is a radical take on the body snatchers model. Most of the movie takes place in a supermarket where thugs take the staff and customers hostage. But as the film moves on we discover they are hunting aliens who are taken over people and one of the leaders us there. The movie is gory and fun with impressive practical effects and confident direction. It's also surprisingly creative given how many times the treatment has been done. There are some light pacing issues but all in all it's a surprisingly good watch.

3.5/5

I basically went into "Alien Raiders" knowing two things: It was for Raw Feed (The makers of the classics "Rest Stop" and…. "Rest Stop 2: The Revenge of George Michael") and it had a horrible title. Seriously, visions of Sci-Fi Channel Original Movies danced through my head, and not the good kind with Bruce Campbell either. Already I was thinking about just missing it. Get some rest. Save up my energy for some other movies. It's day four, after all.

But my friend already had tickets for both of us, so I figured at the very least if it was boring I could just catch a nap.

Well… the nap never happened. Alien Raiders rises up above its horrible title and executes a tense and exciting low-budget action/sci-fi tale. Proof of this is the fact that out of all the movies I saw (Zack and Miri, which was great; Feast 2 which was... all right; couple more... can't think straight right now), this is the only one I'm bothering to write a review for. I think it's because since it's a straight-to-DVD movie, it probably won't get it's fair share of publicity. So allow me to put on my publicity gloves (And matching pants).... ahem...

The movie is about a small supermarket in Arizona that, one night while closing up, is over- run by a group of armed terrorists. The men claim that they have to "check" the remaining people, mentioning that "the king" is there and they have to find him/her/it. Now… obviously the title ruins any hope for keeping the movie's twist secret SPOILERthere are aliens that are in need of raidingSPOILER, but this movie still does a pretty good job at keeping the viewer engaged and wondering what the hell is going on, without ever confusing them.

The thing I liked the most about the movie was how it ended up being a few different kind of movies in one. It's a mystery when the cops are trying to unravel the reason for the hostage situation, it's an action film (The opening shoot-out is pretty friggin' intense), it's a sci-fi movie (Aliens… being raided), and it's even got a dash of monster movie in there for good measure. The atmosphere of the movie is pretty tense throughout. And the pacing was great as well. The movie's just under 90 minutes and no part of it really lags.

Acting-wise, TV fans are gonna' be pretty happy. The main character is played by Carlos Bernard, who we all know and love as Tony "F'ing" Almeda on "24". The character he's playing here isn't that much different from Tony, but it fits the character who, as the movie progresses, goes from being a quiet and almost creepy presence, to being a very sympathetic character. Also good was Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note from the first two seasons of "Prison Break" and one of the hit men in "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang") as the heavy of the group... The guy who is all business and no non-sense... You know… the asshole. He could have easily been a one-note character, but is given a few instances to add a little flavor to his performances that help flesh the character out a little. There's another character that… I don't really want to give anything away, but he dies pretty early on and that kind of bummed me out. I would have liked to seen more of him. The rest of the cast did a great job as well, with only a few weak points here and there.

I got to hand it to first-time feature director Ben Rock. The dude took a really tiny budget (I've heard it was anywhere from $1.5-3 million) and turned out one of the slicker movies I've seen. He and his cinematographer's use of lighting and different styles of shooting really makes this movie rise above their financial limitations. Although, it is a shame that, towards the end, they have to resort to some old tricks (Stuttery-looking action scenes, anyone?). But at least it looks better than "Automaton Transfusion", which looks like it was shot by a hyperactive kid with a camera strapped to his head while he tried to stand still.

Overall this movie was a pleasant surprise. I'd have to give it at least an 8 out of 10. I heard this is going straight to DVD, so I definitely say give it a shot when it comes out. Hope you use this review.

I really love it when an independent film is made well. I'm all for the underdog rising above the corporate giants with their millions and billions. A film doesn't always need expensive special effects (yes sometimes they do blow u away, but the use of CGI is getting ridiculous now), and a worthy script with good actors and some creative low budget FX can be enough to keep you entertained....if you haven't been brainwashed yet that is. Getting to my point, Alien Raiders delivers because you don't expect it too (I think they chose the name because of that reason). The name sucks, the beginning with the dodgy camcording makes you think 'is this what it's gonna be like', and then wallop you become absorbed in this little gem. It may be because I love alien movies, and people's interpretations on the whole alien invasion, including what they look like and what power they possess. Yes the film is pretty much all in a supermarket and yes the protectors of the universe do some really stupid things, but we're all human. You have to look at Alien Raiders for what it is and appreciate how well it was delivered for it's small budget. The actors did a great job, they we're very convincing, and the raiders we're relentless throughout which was great. If they think you're an alien well you're in big trouble, coz they don't like aliens not one bit. The twist was mildly obvious but still it could only be one of the 5 or 6 hostages so what do you expect. Those that have been hating on this are not fans of indie flicks obviously, and probably watch Die Hard 4.0 (which I loved by the way) and think that if a car doesn't take out a helicopter then it ain't worth watching. I've seen many bad indie horror flicks and thats why this gets positive comments from me. It stands out from the crowd and except for the supermarket setting has no similarities, and is not a copy of 'The Mist' (which again I loved). Give it a go...if you don't like it....well tough I did.

This movie is definitely not going to win any awards. It's also not going to make any top 10 lists at the end of the year. It won't even make cult status.

What it will do is entertain you & keep you on the edge of your seat.

The premise is simple. A group of independent "alien hunters" have descended on a small town, and specifically a grocery store where they seem to have found the original infection. Do they do the best job securing the location?? No. Do they seem dis organized, and nervous?? Yes. But I think that adds to the plot. These are not trained police officers, or ex military men. They are regular Joe's that have found something that needs to be stopped.

What's most impressive is the way the tension is built throughout the film. You feel the same claustrophobic tension that you get in Splinter, and there's a similar feeling to the great Spanish film "rec" This movie isn't quite as good in quality as those two movies, but there's a good mix of "what the heck is going on" and "how is this whole thing going to end."

There are very limited special effects in this movie, and when used they add to the story, they don't take away. There's almost no CGI, and that's a good thing. The Sci Fi channel could really learn something about creating movies like this, where you have alien invasions without using incredibly cheap and campy CGI, just a little make up, and some cool camera tricks and hold back the pay off till the last minute. It's an easy formula that's been missing from science fiction films for quite some time. Directors have fallen in love with being able to create big creatures, but don't know how to build tension.

Now, the movie does have plot wholes, and relies on some clichés. The one cop that happens to be a hostage negotiator from "the big city." The ending isn't as surprising as they want it to be. Still, for a direct to DVD movie, this is about as good as it gets.

It's science fiction, so suspend disbelief a bit, and imagine how you would react if you were in the characters shoes. It's an enjoyable little trip.

In Buck Lake, Arizona, the Hastings Supermarket is apparently assaulted by a group of terrorists leaded by Ritter (Carlos Bernard) that takes clients and employees in a hostage situation. One of the team members, Spooky (Philip Newby), examines the hostages detecting who should be executed and releasing the others. When Spooky is killed by the security cop, the six last shoppers and employees are kept tied and submitted to a test in one finger. Sooner the abductors reveal that they are a team of scientists containing an alien outbreak and avoid an invasion.

The tense and claustrophobic "Alien Raiders" has a great concept and good story. The screenplay could have a better development of characters and situation, since the identity of the king was very predictable for me; but considering the simplicity of the plot associated to the low-budget, the result was a remarkable movie with a great make-up and few special effects that exceeded my best expectations. The cast has magnificent performances and it was great to see Rockmond "C-Note" Dunbar and Mathew "Keith Charles" St. Patrick again on the screen. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Refém do Desconhecido" ("Hostage of the Unknown")