The Men Who Fell

This movie is unique to say the least.

Effects may not compare to a big budget horror film,yet it still invokes interest, and keeps you guessing till the end.

The ending I admit, is terrible. Disappointing and not inventive yes the rest of the movie makes up for it. I feel it needs an alternative ending at the least.

This film has good background effects but is slightly painful for the eye's yet this scene lasts only a few minutes.

Some things were not completely done. More post production was required. The little things were overlooked.

Overall 8/10

Lets get something straight. We're talking about a movie that was filmed with a DVX-100 camera in various locations within Tucson, AZ most of which was either in a warehouse or at home. The sound was done entirely in a garage; most all of the work behind the scenes was done by "count em" three people. The models, sets, & props were built by the director. The computer effects were done by the producer; and the costumes as well as the set dressing were done by the directors wife!! And oh yeah, the complete budget was a mere $20,000. By the way, the door sound wasn't lifted from Doom or any where else. I think it's pretty impressive.

The film started not bad but turned into a complete nonsense quickly and finished with some idiotism. I don't mind the low budget, but the whole story line is plain awful and nothing compensates for its total ugliness, though acting and costumes are quite good. Even the initial scenes of the earth devastated terribly by some kind of a cataclysm bring rather a disappointment. There are too many scenes shot with no apparent purpose and too many events left unexplained.

In general, it's just another amateur work which you could watch for free to kill some time and forget about it after all. If these boys and girls ever decide to produce another sci-fi film like this one, they should find a much better writer and place their characters in the clearest light.

This movie considering its budget (none practically) and small work team is quite a technical accomplishment. The visual effects, sound effects, and overall sense of 'atmosphere' come together quite well on the screen to create a desolate, desert vision of the future. Also, the lead male is compelling and provides just enough character to fuel the sometimes clunky (and dragging) storyline.

However, like other films of this caliber, the overall story development and acting tends to drag "The Men Who Fell" down into an amateurish production with little action. There were some points that remained unclear (the toys/chair/role of the Company..etc) and some plot lines that were completely unnecessary and trite (read: The Slayer). As for the acting, the strongest was by far the lead (kudos to the Demon too)... it is his crazed buddy and "the Slayer" who produce the bulk of the groan-inducing lines and stilted performances that remind viewers that they are definitely not viewing the work of professionals. That said, this film is worth a watch if you're looking to see ingenious set design and impressive special effects.

Extremely promising sci-fi thriller boasts some spectacular production design and moments of satisfying action only to become diluted of much of its suspense and believability. This the result of a weak third act, and, worse, a tragic choice to inject fantasy into the movie's gritty atmosphere. Acting is strangely fragmented in places--likely the result of a long period of production--but the two leads have plenty of charisma and chemistry, even if, for playing hardened convicts, it's hard to accept them as anything but average, clean-cut joes in space-suits. Script doesn't allow its lead characters much variety of emotion, and one wishes for more surprises, even violence, to erupt between them. Considering their predicament, the convicts' bickering relationship grows wearisome, as well. The movie's subterranean hell-hole is magnificent to look at, yet doesn't detract from the amount of pedestrian travel in the movie. Thus, the on-screen time devoted to showing the characters' entries, exits, and steps in-between is enough to justify a retitling: "The Men Who Walked An Entire 90 Minute Running Time". Decent score is reminiscent of "Blade Runner" era Vangelis, and a John Carpenter style dirge near the end provides some welcome nostalgia for decent sci-fi/horror music. Vivid cinematography is a plus, as well. As for an earlier blurber making the ignorant (and curiously anonymous) comment about the unprofessional nature of some of the actors, it's not only inaccurate, but if there's anything "groan-inducing" about the performances, it's the movie's unfortunate grafting on of fantasy characters burdened by flowery language ("sun spiders"?). The contrast in style is jarring and the resulting scenes become an intrusion. Great diabolical effects and a rousing finale make this well worth a watch. Undoubtedly, a better than average straight-to-video genre film and deserving of more attention.