Clonehunter

I really wanted to like this as it was obviously made on the super cheap, but there's just too many strikes working against it. Repeated CG loops. Messy script Way too many tight shots to hide the lack of sets WAY too many lights pointed at the camera to hide the lack of sets. choppy editing and frame rate. They deserve all the credit in the world for the attempt, but the end products was just hard to take.

Dressed like Han Solo, and attempting to act like Rick Deckard, Cain (Ben Thomas) is the CLONEHUNTER. Unfortunately, he's more Gerald Ford than Harrison Ford.

He flies through space with his holographic cat, and his partner, Rachel (Angela Funk), encountering other uninteresting characters.

Cain is hired to hunt down a snarky, space hillbilly. Now, Cain and Rachel are in a race against time to... Oh, what's the use? This is awful!

Generally speaking, a movie full of cadaverous "acting", dip$h!t dialogue, not-so-special effects, tree-like characters, and a "plot" that's an amalgamation of stuff from other, actual movies, should be a schlock classic.

Not in this case.

Each scene thuds into the next like glaciers colliding. Conversations take place that are boring enough to cause brain blisters, resulting in full cerebral implosion! It's like listening to a conversation between several, semi-sentient loaves of bread!

A scene in an intergalactic saloon was most likely filmed in the back of the same thrift store that provided the costumes. The "sets" must have been constructed on some other world, since such ultra-bland minimalism isn't found here on Earth.

Obviously coerced, random street people stand in for the random street people in this mess.

Basically, someone watched STAR WARS and BLADE RUNNER, decided they were Ridley Lucas, and jumped right into this.

Lovers of cinematic misery rejoice! You've just hit the jackpot! All others had better steer clear of this super-sub-sludge...

If you, like I, turned to this movie expecting a tacky sci-fi story based solely on the title, you'll find yourself somewhat pleasantly disappointed. This film delivers a surprisingly good storyline, hampered largely by the low budget available for production. The low budget is particularly evident in the special effects, which demonstrate some creative problem solving to deliver the large number of effects required by the script.

The script could have used a bit more editing. While it does have a couple of holes in it, none are so gaping as the obvious one in the award winning "The Kings Speech," and these holes are largely compensated for by the occasional good line and unexpected plot twists. The same holds true for both the cinematography and editing as well.

While there is the occasional really interesting shot—such as the drunk/drugged shot, there are also a few really bad shots which should have been cut, or re-shot.

It's difficult to critique the actors' performance, or even that of the director for these reasons. Just about every scene left me feeling like they ended each filming session when they ran out of film for retakes—or that they only had enough for one or two takes.

But the storyline is a real saving grace for this film. I can't help but think that had they the resources available to the blockbuster films, that this film could have outperformed them at the box office.

A little tacky, yes. A little campy, yes. Check it out anyway, it's an interesting watch.

This film show there is much more to come from the sci-fi genre but I don't feel comfortable about excessive numbers of fight scenes. The result is that all accomplishments of a physical and intellectual nature are hopelessly lucky. The Silver Screen (you got it) is broken in many places where we literally become the actors instead of the audience. I don't feel I know the woman who strips naked well enough for this scene however so am reminded how I am not going anywhere in this film myself, accept I am watching and not acting. So why am I allowed this close when the film makers quality is so obvious. The gamer becomes star feel is okay for me if that is what it is. It adds a plea to the audience to step up and shape up. So let's look again at some of the actors. Racheal de Winter (how I heard and spell it) steps into each new scene like she's earned it. A hologram plus more cat. The male lead is lucky to be alive, plucky and bold and irreverent. Villains, clones,conspiracy and social breakdown. There are small elements of hope in some cast members who survive on what scraps remain. I am reminded of friends and stereotypes, not one's I can revisit whole but lingering in the unsettling vision of a fractured world. A good location and noir setting that lacks integrated panorama to action scenes.

It's way too easy to bash films like these - horrible wooden acting, lack of any emotions, no budget, high school level special effects, silly plot, and so on and so on. But it would be unfair to compare a film by Andrew Bellware to a big budget Hollywood production. It is clear what he was going for - to tell a sci-fi story and have fun while doing so. Even though he must have known that only hard core sci-fi fans would find some enjoyment in it.

But that is not my biggest complain. What bothers me the most is the fact that there has been no sign of improvement on Mr. Bellware's side. I mean, he's been making these films for several years now. I've only seen three of them, but they all look the same! Same lighting, camera work, I wouldn't be surprised if he even used the same set in all of them. A limited budget is one thing, but a lack of talent is something else. I have the impression Andrew Bellware has reached his artistic hight and all of his other movies will look the same. I'll watch his future work only to see if I was right.

By the way, what is with that fetish concerning redhead women? Any explanation?