Alien Species

This movie is summed up by the most intelligent line uttered by one of its principal characters...

"I feel like I am in a bad episode of The X-Files"

...Alien Species is a schlocky formulaic alien invasion film with decent special effects, a lot of mediocre action and decent acting, which is so poorly shot, and so uninspiringly written, that it reaches new lows. And don't get me started on the hideous sound track! This film could easily be lost among many of the early Sci-Fi Channel fiascoes. There are a number of CGI shots involving space ships, an impossibly globe-like earth and urban explosions straight out of Missile Command (complete with disappearing flame and temporary damage).

Before I waste what little energy this film's review warrants I'll let you in on the plot. Aliens are invading the earth for no particular reason and everybody on earth is so freaked out and terrified that there is no military response and general panic and desperation predominate. A couple of prisoners are being transported to jail and a flying saucer knocks them off the road, after they pick up a few stranded victims of an automobile accident (including a famous astronomer and UFO expert of course!). One of the criminals turns out to be an innocent man and easily the worst actor in the film, but fortunately he doesn't speak until about half-way through (the X-Files comment being one of his first multi-word lines). Anyway, you get the picture.

As usual, I handed this a 2 because its harmless - since I reserve single star ratings for bigger productions which pose serious mental health risks such as "Tin Cup" and "Runaway Bride". My advice - enjoy this if you're like me and have to see every bad sci fi film ever made. Otherwise, don't waste your time.

This is NOT that bad of a sci-fi flick. Certain aspects of it are OK. Charles Napier is a good actor, but comes across as a bit over the top in this role. Hoke Howell is OK in his role. The rest? So so at best. Although I do give Jodi Seronick extra points for at least being able to act when she screams or cries and for being a fox. Now, as for whats left ... Plot? Its there, kind of. Earth is invaded. Continuity? Well, there was that horrendous storm that they all had to contend with during the first part of the movie that I never really saw any good evidence of. Special effects? They run from being pretty good and reminiscent, I think, of the last season of the original "Battlestar Galactica" and the TV mini series "V", to being REALLY bad. Certain shots of the galaxy look more like an out of focus photo of popcorn and juju beans laying on the theatre floor. And there is that one explosion involving an alien fighter/saucer in which the use of Fourth of July fireworks, literally, is evident. Dialog and scripting? OK for the most part, terrible in spots. Example: Max, when asked how he found them, replies that he jumped in the car to look for them. Cool. The next time I'm looking for someone and I don't know where they are I'll know exactly what to do. Jimmy Hoffa will be so proud. Sound track? Again, so so. Plausability? OMG! Examples: Max, when asked where the bazooka in the back of his vehicle came from, says he found it on the side of the road and picked it up in case of an emergency. AND he downloads alien info onto his laptop from an alien contraption that must've been in some way compatible in less than a minute! Maybe Mircosoft has outlets in spots I'm unaware of. Anyway, with all it's bad points I still found enough bright spots in it, principally the special effects and the passable action sequences, for the thing to be mildly entertaining.

Well what a load of rubbish this film was, a plot written by a 12 year old, wooden acting, a 'rubber' alien, in general a bad rip off of the classic space monster movie 'Alien'.

I have no idea why an accomplished actor like Charles Napier would sign on for something like this. It was like so many other alien invasion movies you've seen, but literally so much worse. Bad writing. Bad acting. Ironically, whoever made it spent a few bucks on special effects. It wasn't enough to save this stinker.

We start on two people apparently researching extra terrestrial life. Then we shift to some deputies and some bad dudes in the back of their truck. In an inexplicable bit of writing, when they come across a crashed car, instead of calling it in, they get to investigate, say they can't help, and they'll call it in.

The dialogue was bad. The acting was worse. They had one professional actor, and even he couldn't be bothered to put on his acting chops for this thing.

Man, this is a bad one, except sometimes when it's one of them 'almost' good ones. But mostly bad.

Basically aliens invade the US in really bad CGI spaceships (almost as bad as the CGI in Alien Blood!) and it's up to some scientists to...well they don't do much at all except avoid getting killed.

Also, Charles Napier's here as a cop for a change and two of his buddies are transporting prisoners and then pick up some other folk and then everyone ends up in a cave where all the aliens are. That's the plot.

After that we're in standard nineties Alien rip off territory where out characters try to remain alive while rubber suited monsters (and zombies!) try and kill them. To be honest this actually improves the film as we can stop watching those awful UFO effects and the actors stop bickering and get to fighting some aliens.

This could have almost been on those enjoyable bad films due to the poverty of the production (it looks shot on video!), the bad acting and the daft effects, but there's an air about the film of it all being a bit half-arsed, which is reflected in the non-ending.

You'll know if you'll like this within about ten seconds of it starting.