The Phoenix Project

If you are looking for a high budget thriller with exciting characters and vivid action this may not be for you. If however you are the type of person that knows about or is interested in the scientific process and enjoy very realistic very human characters then you won't want to miss a single moment. Like one other reviewer, I did find the ending a bit disappointing - however during the movie itself I put off things like going to the bathroom and blinking so that I didn't miss any part of it. Those with a high IQ are very much more likely to enjoy this film than the mainstream population who tend to describe it as boring or uninteresting. If you did enjoy this though, I would recommend another "boring" movie called Primer which also has equally believable characters who almost accidentally discover a way to go back short amounts of time.

first off i implore you,if you value your time please find another movie to watch or failing that slap some paint on your wall & watch that dry it'll be more entertaining believe me!.i initially thought The Phoenix Project was going to be another foray into the 'Crazy Re-Animated Guy' genre but after 20 minutes i was sadly mistaken,but if your thing is doing lame experiments on mice then this film is definitely for you,the 4 main protagonists Corey Rieger-Perry Frank,Andrew Simpson-Devin Fischer,David Pesta-Ampersand (i know i've never heard of that name either) Garner & Orson Ossman-Carter Watts actually do quite a good job given that the script by Tyler Graham Pavey who is also the director is non existent suffice to say this movie is by far & away the most mind numbingly dull movie i've seen in many a year & to make the movie even worse it feels as though throughout its building to some kind of climax but it never happens & it just fades to a whimper,so do yourself a favour & watch Re- Animator the movie this movie wishes it was!

The most boring film you will ever see in your entire life. Stay away at all costs. If your idea of a great time at the movies is watching lab experiments on rodents for over an hour then by all means, buy a ticket...take the ride. The acting is sub-par, the writing is dreadful and nothing happens until the very end of the film. What kind of movie is that? I want my time back but alas, that time is gone.

If you are someone who funds films, please do not ever give these filmmakers another dime. I really hated this film, it may even be in my top ten least favorite films of all time. It's pretentious, boring and lame in every possible way. Licking stamps and addressing envelopes is more fun than this film. You've been warned.

The other reviewers were bored with this, and you will be too, if you don't like the scientific method. I found the character development and motivations well done, unlike the other reviewers. The other reviewers obviously wanted something more exciting. I myself was riveted. Biological Science does use mice and rabbits, and hot girls and wacky entertaining scientists aren't usually involved, so if that is a motivator, don't watch it. I am not a science geek, but if you have a moderate attention span, and are moderately intelligent, you may like it, or think it was excellent like I did. I didn't give it ten, only because the ending was a little disappointing. The moral question part of the ending was great, but the characters reaction, as far as the success of the experiment was concerned, was a head scratcher. Remember that the success of an experiment is to get a positive result. Yes, there was tragedy. But the experiment wasn't about human issues.

I love me a slow, dull movie where the characters are more concerned with just standing around talking about things rather than having big action sequences. No I'm being completely serious, I love my sci-fi long and drawn out with a haunting indie score. Just look at Solaris or Stalker.

Not a movie meant for your average movie-goer though

The Phoenix Project is a modern day homage to Frankenstein and one that would make Mary Shelley proud. It's exactly what I needed to in a low budget sci-fi and one that will leave you feeling a little hollow but encapsulated by its bleakness.

When four scientists move into a home to begin a project of raising the dead via their ingenious machine, tensions flare as the project becomes more about personal ambitions, career obsessions and underlying motivations rather than simply breathing new life into a dead mouse. Directed by Tyler Pavey, this film as previously mentioned isn't flashy. You'll get no scenes akin to Dr. Frankenstein screaming 'IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE! MY GOD IT'S ALIVEEEEEEEEEE!'. You'll get no monster terrorizing the countryside.You'll get four dudes doing science in a garage and you'll like it consarnit!

This movie is concerned with the relationships between the scientists as they deal with the frustrations of scientific advancement, the tensions associated with limited grant money and getting their tests exactly right, and most importantly the flair of temperaments from living in such close proximity to each other throughout the project.

I believe the alternative title is something like 'Technology with unexpected consequences' and that's basically the best way to summarize the film. It's a film that questions morality in scientific advancement and reveals the unintended ramifications of trying to blaze new trails.

Decently acted, the four main characters show extreme levels of chemistry on screen as the story waxes and wanes through collusion, comradery, and eventually collapse. The story is character development at its finest as we see a spectrum of emotions from all four scientists as they each have to confront their personal demons and are pushed to the brink in order to achieve immortality both in terms of their scientific contributions and more literally with the success of their reanimation project.

If you like minimalist science fiction you'll love this film. If you adored the story of Frankenstein for reasons other than the monster you'll love this film. It's a character driven plot with masterful levels of human drama and it all takes place in a 2,500 sqft home. I encourage you to watch the credits in their entirety and just let that level of creepiness sink in if you still wish it were more like Frankenstein.

Read the full review and others like it on the Drive-in Zeppelin Website