51

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")

If this were a test paper I'd give it 51 out of 100. I was really disappointed with this film as I'm generally a keen devotee of area 51 films. However, from the get go I knew I was in for a good serving of high definition amateur hour. The news anchorwoman scene which served as the film's opening just didn't look right & neither did a similar scene which served as the film's conclusion. The acting in most scenes is a little dodgy, although much of the blame must be attributed to the lackluster script & lack of finesse in the editing department. By poor editing I mean there should have been more closeups & camera angles.

Still though, it could have been worse. What I did like about this film were the creature effects. Also, for those interested in lashings of blood & gore there were sufficient quantities of both. And to be truthful it was actually quite amusing watching the actors labor like troopers through some of the weaker scenes.

In conclusion, don't watch this film if you're expecting something great. If, however, you're like me & just can't resist a horror flick even with a guaranteed cheese factor, knock yourself out.

When I watched this I believed I was in for another terrible B rated movie, but I must admit, out of all the B rated movies I have seen, this is by far the best one. The actors were not amazing, but better than usual in my opinion. The special effects were also better than many other B rated movies I have seen, although they were still terrible in comparison to bigger movies of course. The story line was alright and I quite enjoyed it, although I thought the end was a bit weird... Anyway, not the best movie I have seen, but still a pleasant surprise.

I give this movie a 4/10 for making a good effort with their low budget.

Yet another film with an escaped alien chasing people around an underground complex. This one however throws in a couple of changes to the usual formula by having a few different aliens, your two usual killing machines plus one shape changing individual who can take the form of anyone it touches. Just so the film can copy scenes from the Thing as well as Aliens.

This is all based in Area 51, where some nosy journalists are invited to look around the non-alien part of the complex. You got your straight laced journalist and the web-based smart arse journalist, looking for the 'truth'. I wouldn't quite dwell on any characters here though, as halfway through their tour the aliens escape and that's when the fun begins.

The story might be generic, but at least there's plenty of gore to keep you awake. Folks are torn to bits, shot, have their faces torn off and even have their heads stamped on, so the film has that going for it. It's always quite fast paced, so it'll do as a not bad time waster. Not a lot of CGI which was a good thing. If you skip it, you won't have missed much.