Project 12: The Bunker

What made this movie OK for me was the location. It's stated as the Canary Islands but the bunker, the tunnels? I couldn't find any reference to them, what were they built for, where exactly were they? Not by any stretch of the imagination an award winner but nevertheless the cast were competent and once they got themselves stuck into the tunnels it was at least atmospheric.

Take one brief look at the synopsis for Bunker: Project 12 and you will quickly understand that you're very much in B-grade movie territory, the type of landscape where you will need to switch your brain off and leave your better judgement at the door should you wish to enjoy the silly and budget-restrained goodies' that a film such as this often entails.

To call Project 12 a good film would be a lie, but against all the odds, Jaime Falero's high-concept action/thriller ends up being a film with enough neat ideas and scenarios to remain ever watchable, the perfect mindless film to put on for a rainy night and another chance to see Eric Roberts in one of the 100's of film's his seemingly appeared in over the last 12 - 18 months.

Interestingly for a film of Project 12's ilk, Falero spends a large portion of the early runtime afforded to him to slow-build his narrative as a collection of long-hidden Russian scientists involved in top secret experiments during the Cold War are killed-off until the film then moves into more horror/thriller territory when James Cosmo's soviet veteran Brian Balanowsky and a team of top-tier mercenaries enter into the fabled bunker to uncover its long dormant secrets.

It's a wise move by Falero to build up to this moment as the action and effects work on show here aren't much chop, no doubt hampered by a low-end budget, there's just not the tools available for Falero to fully enact out the potential of Project 12's idea, which is the type of idea you can see future film's riffing off thanks to its potential to be a highly over the top yet also highly entertaining mix of action and thrills in a setting that feels ripe for such a set-up.

With limits to what the film can achieve with its production values and resources, it's great to see the films cast have fun with what they're given with Roberts, Cosmo and other cast members such as Joaquín Sánchez (who also co-writes) and Natasha Alam all understanding what they are a part of and delivering delightfully D-grade turns which helps make the film an at times laugh out loud experience with hilariously placed zingers and lines for the cast to deliver.

Final Say -

With TV movie of the week conception, Bunker: Project 12 is the type of film you're likely to find on late night TV after the majority of us have gone to bed but with a fun concept and some hugely appealing ideas, Falero's film may not be great, but it does offer some good fun along its journey.

2 flamethrowers out of 5

Whilst the plot isn't really original, it moves along at a good pace with some reasonable acting. It's entertaining, and doesn't pretend to be anything else. We found it enjoyable for a wet and cold weekend.

The film is a great action thriller very entertaining. In my opinion, also knowing the limited resources the project had, is quiet well done. I guess the idea is original and believable and if the setting is in the past, is bringing back to the reality an ideological conflict which is not yet over: even more, is very actual, unfortunately.

Jaime with really limited contacts, basically no support and by living in a remote island in the Atlantic as Tenerife, is achieving step by step a level of quality production which I find amazing compared to the relatively low production cost.

I wish him success for his career and looking forward to his next movies.

Proof that there are good low budget movies out there!

As a streaming movie junkie I have viewed and written a lot of 'low budget' films, and given more than my share of low stars. Thank god I found this one, it has renewed my faith in the industry segment!

OK, the good. FINALLY a pretty solid script. SOO much better than you expect from a low budget film. In fact I thought about 6 stars, but then you are getting into main stream theater level quality, and it was just not quite there. But very close.

The actors actually knew their trade and proved it time and again. I will be watching out for almost the entire cast in the future. They knew how to hold guns, pull off 'stings', everything.

This is one I would highly recommend. Yeah, even for a 2nd tier theater viewing, but probably better for a movie night with some beers and the guys and gals (but not the kiddies).