Sand Serpents

While out on a routine assignment, a group of soldiers in Afghanistan find they have awoken a swarm of gigantic worm-like creatures and must fend off both the creature and the Taliban in order to get out of the situation alive.

This one here wasn't all that bad of a creature feature. One of the better features here is that there's a rather fun and frantic pace here that comes off exceptionally well as there's some fine action scenes within here. This is mostly apparent in the first twenty minutes which is the ambush gunfight at the mine with the insurgents which is a really blazing gunfight that results in their capture only to be rescued by the worms ambushing the other terrorists leaving them alone. This continue on into the fun chopper attack as the sudden-ness of them appearing and generating the attack on the chopper is a nice surprise as well as leading into the chase back to the camp where there's plenty of fun to be had from that, a thrilling chase in the desert as they race away from several burrowing creatures that has some nice moments from some ingenious tactics being utilized in a second chase away from the refugee camp that comes off really well with the race to get into the bunker before the worms can get to them. Other fun action comes from the grand shootout with the reinforcements back at the hideout where the worms come into play with their inadvertent rescue which is all in line with the final half here as the big series of chasing and encounters throughout the tunnels which gives this some really fun action here in their encounter with the worms as they run into the tunnels, their underground adventures coming across the traps and supplies while the escape to the surface brings some really tense moments here with the final attack on the terrorists at the campsite and the race to get into the rescue plane gives this one some really fun times here. Along with the overall fun creature design, these here offer this a lot to really like here over it's few minor flaws. Among the biggest issues here is the fact that the film continues harping on the one character labeling the entire nation as terrorists despite plenty of times that he's saved their lives in the line or duty or given them access to something they shouldn't have in their condition, which is done so often in here that it becomes utterly annoying and rather racist. This also manages to come through with a rather puzzling flaw here in that there's the return trip to the mine, as that's where the creatures are known to be so that doesn't make any sense why they return. Even considering this facet is the fact that this is their base which would've been another reason to leave, and even then they could've brought the radio along anyway which gives this whole section some really wrong decision-making. Along with very little blood and gore in the kills here, these hold this one back somewhat.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and children-in-jeopardy.

I normally do not trash anyone's films but I have had enough !!!! I watched this film from start to finish !

Let's start with the first point ! These "Soldiers" are not Marines. I have served with both services and there are huge differences besides just uniforms !

Second , This film just cut a lot of their potential audience out because there have been way over a million military members that have rotated in and out of A'Stan,Iraq and other places since the war has started not to mention their family , relatives and friends that know what is and what is BS from their pictures and stories . The "Soldiers" are all "TABBED UP" each with Special Forces tabs and also "RANGER" tabs plus CIBS .

I do know a lot of SF /Group guys that wore beards so that isn't an issue but you don't pick the wimpiest guy to try and pull that off ! Arabs wear a certain Kafeeh ( head dress/wrap around neck) due to a certain meaning ( religious reason , country rulers etc. )

as far as Camera work, weapon work and action could have been a bit better. The monster well that is a SCI FI gig there so I will shut my mouth there ! I won't comment on actors actions and good or bad they do what the Director/Producers and Writer tells them too and I can respect that !

Here is a War veteran's heart felt appeal as someone who loves SCI FI films even campy ones ! Get the Military part right when doing Military based films as if it feels real then the fiction is easy to imagine as a reality ! The best lie that could ever be told is 80% true ! Any questions please feel free to contact me directly !! Cheers! DOC J

Now that Iraq has simmered down, the war news such as it is concerns Afghanistan. Something the government is keeping from the American public are those giant worms that are doing more damage to the Allies, the Taliban, and anything else they take a mind to eat. And as big as they are they've got some huge appetites.

Jason Gedrick and a small group of Marines are stranded out in the remote Afghan desert. But it ain't the Taliban that's worrying them, it's these giant refugees from Tremors. In fact the big worms prove to be an ally of sorts by doing better against the Taliban than these clearly outclassed troops are. No reflection to the Marine Corps, but battling these enemies is something not covered in their training.

It all gets downright silly at times. But if these things are out there I suggest we let them breed and chow down on the Jihadists. Otherwise I'd pass Sand Serpents right on by.

Another SyFy ditty, with suspiciously familiar creatures and plot lines. This one looks like a hybrid mix of Tremors and an assortment of "Marines fight monsters" movies like Aliens.

Giant slinkies with vacuum sweeper tendencies look for quick meals in the Afghan desert. While this week's squad of Marine victims fight with Taliban insurgents, the faceless maws of the Sand Serpents sneak up on both. As per usual, characters are knocked off one-by-one, first with the nameless ones with no lines, then eliminating those with a few lines, finally getting to the top-billing folks.

It would be easy to dismiss this one, but it actually does have its moments. The characters that survive more then the first 20 minutes or so are actually developed somewhat, and the acting isn't bad at all. There's a child in the cast who does especially well. The special effects appear cheap in places, as if done on a home PC. However, since the premise is so bizarre, the hokey effects fit in a weird way. One character who never shuts up has the exact fate you hope for and know is coming sooner or later (and that finally shuts him up, permanently lol).

This one's just for laughs, like the old MST3K flicks.

I wasn't expecting much but I found this movie well written with none of the clunky lines that make me wince. There is genuine suspense and some interesting inter-cultural parallels.

The CGI and monster logic are not great but the characters are well done. It's not Aliens or Terminator 2 but I'd say it's more memorable than most.

I thought the Afgan characters were interesting with thought provoking stuff about what it's like to be in the middle of a civil war. The tension around the "are they on our side or not" was very effective.

The US army characters were a bit stereotypical but well written and acted.

I really liked the ending but others might find it a bit grim. Thought provoking to me.