51

This has got to be one of the most hated recent movies. People call it the worst and make fun of it, so of course I wasn't expecting this movie to be a masterpiece or any good really. However I have to be fair; I was pleasantly surprised by it and actually enjoyed watching it.

Really, as far as aliens versus humans, low-budget, action/science-fictions flicks go, this one is pretty good. And trust me, I have seen a lot of these type of movies, of which most did so much more wrong and poorly than this movie ever did. It was was pretty good for what it is and it definitely serves its purpose just fine.

With its budget, acting and writing quality, you could call this a modern B-movie but one of the aspects about B-movies often is that they are quite enjoyable movies to watch, as is the case with this movie. Of course I recognize all of the bad aspects of this movie and all of its plot holes and weaknesses but quite frankly it never took away any of the fun I had with watching this movie.

It's a movie that really 'borrows' heavily from other, better known genre movies, most notably "Alien" and "The Thing". But I'm even willing to forgive the movie for doing so, since it works within the context of the movie.

The movie does feature some pretty good creature design. All of the aliens are pretty cool and monstrously dangerous looking ones. Definitely not something cheap looking, like a guy in a rubber suit (while if of course still is a guy in a rubber suit but that is besides the point).

Pretty good and enjoyable for what it is.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

OK.

An opening scene which is green screen is a SERIOUSLY bad start. It inspired no confidence, and was seriously un-immersive.

The acting wasn't ALL bad, but was certainly patchy.

Direction OK, script a bit rubbish, the aliens not too bad. OK, to be fair, they died a bit easily, but then masks/CGI/whatever, I thought they were OK.

Just could have been far better.

I wish IMDb didn't have the 10 line limit. This one isn't worth any more than I just gave it.

I really enjoy the cheese factor of SyFy original films. They are the kind that friends and I get together and watch and make fun of. We occasionally have "live chats" on the internet while watching them so friends from all over the country can connect and laugh together.

That being said - and taken in that context - this movie was absolutely fun! Yes - there is a low budget. Yes - the the plot, script, sets, and special effects were a little lacking; but it is a SyFy original movie and should be taken in that context. It was a cheesy alien romp that left me smiling. Certainly not a great movie, but I was definitely entertained.

In Area 51, the tough Colonel Ronald Martin (Bruce Boxleitner) decides to open the facility to the reporters Claire Felon (Vanessa Branch) and Sam Whitaker (John Shea) and their crew to satisfy the public opinion. Col. Martin denies the existence of aliens and invites the journalists to visit the two floors in the underground facility. Meanwhile, in the top secret four floors below, one shape shifter alien called Patient Zero (Jed Maheu) capable to replicate any humanoid form escape and releases the dangerous aliens Little Devil and Lady Death (Ivan Djurovic). While Col. Martin and his soldiers hunt them down, Sergeant Hanna (Rachel Miner) and her team protect the exit and are the last barrier to avoid the aliens from escaping.

"Area 51" is a lame B-movie and a terrible means of wasting time. The stupid story is awful and ridiculous. There are good names in the cast, highlighting Bruce Boxleitner and John Shea, but the acting in general is shameful. John Shea from "Missing" keeps the same expression along the whole film. Anyway, the screenplay and the dialogues are poor and the cast does not have a good chance to work. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Área 51" ("Area 51")

I first found out about Area 51 in the mid nineties as the height of the X-Files' fame. Area 51 is the codename given to a section of land in the Nevada desert in America. Allegedly, it contains the remains of crashed UFOs etc. I always thought it would make a good movie. I still think it would - the emphasis being that it would make a GOOD movie. Sadly, this is no good.

Er, where do I begin? The cheap special effects? The shoddy acting? The wafer-thin characters? The ludicrous plot holes? It's all there - unfortunately.

Basically, what you have here, is a made-for-TV movie, i.e. wobbly sets, unknown actors and not much more.

Bottom line - it's just short of okay. Some people may like it, but not many. There are so many better alien films out there - like 'Alien' for example.

Plus side - the leading lady is cute (that's probably more a plus point for the guys - I can see too many women swooning over sci-fi stalwart Bruce Boxleighter).

Oh, well, never mind. I may have wasted an hour and a half of my life, but it was still more entertaining than a Transformers movie.

(and, who gave this film 5/5 on Amazon? they serious must be taking the pi...)