Terminus

I don't really write to many reviews for movies, People like what they like and the same goes for dislike. First off, The special effects were great.

They didn't try to over do it. The script could have been a little more developed in some areas but it is for all intensive purposes, a Sci- Fie / Drama. The Acting was pretty good For the most part. The Cinematography was Good, No shaky camera crap or blurred fight scene's.

I am not sure why but the Police and other authoritative actors weren't very good. Not convincing in anyway shape or form. I felt like someone p****d on my cornflakes while i was trying to enjoy the rest of my breakfast. A little more info about where the girl was for all those years or a few flash back scene's could have brought her character to life and actually made me care more about her. She wasn't a bad actor she just wasn't really given much to work with to round out her character. Still ' it was WAY better than some of the cheap C-B flick crap that the Sci-Fie channel was trying to cram down our throats a few years back. It is better than some of these movies that have been coming out lately.

I know it was a drama- Sc-Fie but a little more attention to detail on WHERE the dramatic crescendo's peeked would have helped. Some where overdone or a little premature at times. Still all in all it kept me interested and for all the Doomsday preppies? Used government cement trucks should go up in price at the local auction.

Frankly, Terminus is smarter than those leaving the exaggerated negative reviews here. That might explain the "booooring" reactions to this very nicely turned, intelligent plot line that places character development at the center of an interesting take on how an alien intelligence is responsible for a hinted at 21st century version of Adam and Eve.

Jai Koutrae, Kendra Appleton, and Todd Lasance turn out terrific, understated performances; the script is compelling and held my interest from the opening moments. The Brian Cachia score is first rate and sustained the almost nourish mood throughout. (It's sometimes forgotten how important the music is to driving the plot line). To echo another reviewer's comment, Mark Furmie's direction is indeed, "motivated and inspired."

If you're expecting the typical dumbed-down, mind-numbing tripe that passes for sci-fi née fantasy these days (think auto-bots and Marvel comics), you'll be disappointed. But if, for example, Ex Machina and Under the Skin appealed to you, and you're looking for low-key, intelligent, well performed and directed story-telling, you'll enjoy Terminus.

This movie is nowhere near as bad as some reviews claim. At the bottom line you find a solid concept - the world stands at the edge of the apocalypse. A war in the Middle East threatens to boil over at any moment. But an artifact/lifeform from beyond Earth may be the answer humanity needs. Is it weapon or cure?

I will grant you that much of the story won't surprise you, but it's pretty well done in that comfortable storytelling zone. The acting is fair to good (sadly, the main character is the least gifted actor's role). This is pure average-guy-fighting-the-evil-government stuff. There are some dumb moments (an operation on a living person that uses a cast saw? Really?) but there's enough here to carry you to the end.

Great science fiction? No. Worth your time? Absolutely.

You need to be in the mood to watch this. The basis of the plot is revealed early on and from there it's all about what happens around that central point. It has to do a lot with how people think and feel and why they do what they do and how it affects the world entire. It is a slow story, gloomy, antiwar and anti rampant Americanism.

I have to say that the negative reaction of some of the other commenters is not warranted. It was an average movie, but one of those that has enough good things to offset some minor bad things, like some sluggishness of the script and some mediocre acting. I think the worst sin the producers of this film committed is that they made a very intriguing trailer that far outshined the movie itself. Almost all high end scenes are in the trailer, that is. Big Hollywood films do that, so why no them, eh? Because you get people upset, as many comments on this site show.

Bottom line: I wish the film would have been more worked on. As such, it is a gem that is still in the mud. I feel that with another edit of the material it could really shine.

I have read a number of reviews on this site and disagree with most. I have read nearly 330 science fiction novels and with the exception of a few you can pretty well see what is coming. This movie was a delight in that the end was never obvious until you experienced the climactic scenes. This movie is a low budget masterpiece in the same vein as "Crawl or Die" which was done for $6,000.00. I am sure the budget for this film was higher but I liked both equally in that the endings were surprises. The cast was great, the acting was spot on. The character development was complete if you pay attention (some have criticized it). One reviewer noted that the actors were "obviously" meant to be cheap replacements for Christian Bale and Guy Pearce. I agree and throw in Amy Smart while you are at it. These actors did all three proud if that is what the intention was. The cinematography was done with low cost equipment but it was very well directed giving the audience the views it needed when needed. I, frankly, was amazed at the quality. One possible drawback to some is how the depressing the overall mood is at the beginning but that is integral to the story. Just so you know, I am a big fan of this type of film ... two of my past favorites are "Zardoz" and "The Quiet Earth" to give you an idea. If you liked those films you will enjoy this one.