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365Flicks (235 KP) rated Cute Little Buggers (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
What the hell exactly did I just watch? Now where will I start with Cute Little Buggers, apart from fact that its the coolest movie title I have seen in a long time.
Cute Little Buggers… Hmmmmm
Cute Little Buggers…
Right okay. Let me start by saying that there is a movie here, A pretty decent one at that. When this movie knows exactly what it is and can be, it is great (a guilty pleasure if you will) when this movie shoots for the stars and trys to be what it wants to be it falls just short for me, however if there is one thing I love and can get behind, its when a director and his crew do what they can with what they have.
Let’s crack on with the pitch… We open up this very, very, very British horror movie in a small town in the south of England that is full of your typical small town England movie characters. Characters like the put upon farmer whose son left town to make it big and for the purposes of story-line has returned this very day. Then we have said prodigal sons old flame who is with the local village asshole now but the candle still burns bright. Local law enforcement, yes you guessed it, as dumb as a box of rocks. Then of course all your regular locals. One other thing, everyone seems to be a bit of a sexual deviant. We are about to spend a day and night with these crazy madcap zany characters as Aliens (Yes I said Aliens) have come to town and are going to use Rabbits (Yes I said Rabbits) to infiltrate and kidnap the women of earth… Oh shit nearly forgot heres the trailer…
I know right the movie is as mental as this trailer looks. I was completely sold for the first half of this movie, Director Tony Jopia was taking his time to build up these characters and every member of the cast knew what kind of flick they were making (a sort of crossover between Hot Fuzz and Critters) so while you could see they were having a bit of fun it also helped the chemistry flow. My god did the movie need that chemistry so we could up the laugh-ability and like-ability factor because on an estimated budget of 25k, the digital on the scares (Tentacle Bunny Things) were pretty laughable. Now as I said I give credit to any director who goes out and makes his passion so I don’t blame Jopia for one second, it was a budget thing and he absolutely made up for it everywhere else by casting well and having a pretty solid script with some cracking one liners. Just the effects left me feeling MEH. We just wont mention the Alien cut scenes on this review.
For me this is a recommend but its a pretty weak one as you may have guessed. That cast all play there parts and they do play them well on just the other side of bonkers and in some cases crazy beautiful. Tony Jopia as a director definitely has something, I dunno maybe with a bit more of a budget but I will say again there is a movie here.
Cute Little Buggers… Hmmmmm
Cute Little Buggers…
Right okay. Let me start by saying that there is a movie here, A pretty decent one at that. When this movie knows exactly what it is and can be, it is great (a guilty pleasure if you will) when this movie shoots for the stars and trys to be what it wants to be it falls just short for me, however if there is one thing I love and can get behind, its when a director and his crew do what they can with what they have.
Let’s crack on with the pitch… We open up this very, very, very British horror movie in a small town in the south of England that is full of your typical small town England movie characters. Characters like the put upon farmer whose son left town to make it big and for the purposes of story-line has returned this very day. Then we have said prodigal sons old flame who is with the local village asshole now but the candle still burns bright. Local law enforcement, yes you guessed it, as dumb as a box of rocks. Then of course all your regular locals. One other thing, everyone seems to be a bit of a sexual deviant. We are about to spend a day and night with these crazy madcap zany characters as Aliens (Yes I said Aliens) have come to town and are going to use Rabbits (Yes I said Rabbits) to infiltrate and kidnap the women of earth… Oh shit nearly forgot heres the trailer…
I know right the movie is as mental as this trailer looks. I was completely sold for the first half of this movie, Director Tony Jopia was taking his time to build up these characters and every member of the cast knew what kind of flick they were making (a sort of crossover between Hot Fuzz and Critters) so while you could see they were having a bit of fun it also helped the chemistry flow. My god did the movie need that chemistry so we could up the laugh-ability and like-ability factor because on an estimated budget of 25k, the digital on the scares (Tentacle Bunny Things) were pretty laughable. Now as I said I give credit to any director who goes out and makes his passion so I don’t blame Jopia for one second, it was a budget thing and he absolutely made up for it everywhere else by casting well and having a pretty solid script with some cracking one liners. Just the effects left me feeling MEH. We just wont mention the Alien cut scenes on this review.
For me this is a recommend but its a pretty weak one as you may have guessed. That cast all play there parts and they do play them well on just the other side of bonkers and in some cases crazy beautiful. Tony Jopia as a director definitely has something, I dunno maybe with a bit more of a budget but I will say again there is a movie here.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Freaks Of Nature (2015) in Movies
Nov 29, 2019
Verdict: Silly Sci-Fi Horror Comedy
Story: Freaks of Nature starts as we head to Dillford, where humans, vampires and zombies leave side by side, we follow three high school students, Dag (Braun) who doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps, Petra (Davis) that has been crushing a vampire, hoping to get turned into one herself and Ned (Fadem) a school geek that is destiny for better things, but is tired of his parents dreams in his brother, deciding he wants to become a vampire.
When aliens arrive in the town, the vampires and zombies go on a feeding craze, where Dag, Petra and Ned, must stand together in an attempt to survive the alien invasion even if they are different species now, they must put these difference behind them to survive.
Thoughts on Freaks of Nature
Characters – Dag comes from a normal family that sees him being in the middle of the high school hierarchy, he gets picked on by the jocks and just wants to be something more, waiting for the day he can be with his dream girl. Petra is dreaming of a vampire party, which sees her getting turned into one, looking for a chance to learn about her new blood lust. She hasn’t always fitted in, which has never bothered her. Ned is the smartest kid in school, his parents are more interested in their jock son, which sees them ignoring him more often than not, making him want to become dumber like the zombies. We do meet a host of other characters that are different a mix of humans, vampires and zombies each with their own stigma.
Performances – Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis and Josh Fadem in the leading roles do bring out the colourful side of their characters even if they fit the generic types for a high school movie. We do have some big name comic actors that get their moments to shine too.
Story – The story here follows three high school kids growing up in a world of humans, vampires and zombies when aliens visit causing chaos as the three unlikely friends must come together to save themselves and the town. This is meant to be more of a parody, more than a serious story, which for the most part is fine, it plays out like a zombie survival story when the outbreak just starts, finding a hiding place before figuring out what to do, while trying to deal with high school problems the three are facing. It isn’t as clever of a story as it thinks, which does leave parts of it feeling flat by the end.
Comedy/Horror/Sci-Fi – The comedy is meant to be more parody, which tries to poke fun at the invasion genre, while the horror is meant to be about the creatures in horror, rather than being scary in anyway, with the aliens being the sci-fi side of the film, which is the biggest threat, but not focused on enough.
Settings – The film is set in a small town which does bring the characters together through the problems they will be facing, how certain stories around town bring them together.
Scene of the Movie – Opening attack.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Doesn’t get enough laughs for a comedy.
Final Thoughts – This is a comedy that just doesn’t get enough laughs and ends up feeling flat by the end of the film.
Overall: Flat Comedy.
Story: Freaks of Nature starts as we head to Dillford, where humans, vampires and zombies leave side by side, we follow three high school students, Dag (Braun) who doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps, Petra (Davis) that has been crushing a vampire, hoping to get turned into one herself and Ned (Fadem) a school geek that is destiny for better things, but is tired of his parents dreams in his brother, deciding he wants to become a vampire.
When aliens arrive in the town, the vampires and zombies go on a feeding craze, where Dag, Petra and Ned, must stand together in an attempt to survive the alien invasion even if they are different species now, they must put these difference behind them to survive.
Thoughts on Freaks of Nature
Characters – Dag comes from a normal family that sees him being in the middle of the high school hierarchy, he gets picked on by the jocks and just wants to be something more, waiting for the day he can be with his dream girl. Petra is dreaming of a vampire party, which sees her getting turned into one, looking for a chance to learn about her new blood lust. She hasn’t always fitted in, which has never bothered her. Ned is the smartest kid in school, his parents are more interested in their jock son, which sees them ignoring him more often than not, making him want to become dumber like the zombies. We do meet a host of other characters that are different a mix of humans, vampires and zombies each with their own stigma.
Performances – Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis and Josh Fadem in the leading roles do bring out the colourful side of their characters even if they fit the generic types for a high school movie. We do have some big name comic actors that get their moments to shine too.
Story – The story here follows three high school kids growing up in a world of humans, vampires and zombies when aliens visit causing chaos as the three unlikely friends must come together to save themselves and the town. This is meant to be more of a parody, more than a serious story, which for the most part is fine, it plays out like a zombie survival story when the outbreak just starts, finding a hiding place before figuring out what to do, while trying to deal with high school problems the three are facing. It isn’t as clever of a story as it thinks, which does leave parts of it feeling flat by the end.
Comedy/Horror/Sci-Fi – The comedy is meant to be more parody, which tries to poke fun at the invasion genre, while the horror is meant to be about the creatures in horror, rather than being scary in anyway, with the aliens being the sci-fi side of the film, which is the biggest threat, but not focused on enough.
Settings – The film is set in a small town which does bring the characters together through the problems they will be facing, how certain stories around town bring them together.
Scene of the Movie – Opening attack.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Doesn’t get enough laughs for a comedy.
Final Thoughts – This is a comedy that just doesn’t get enough laughs and ends up feeling flat by the end of the film.
Overall: Flat Comedy.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Rediscovering the Earth in Books
Feb 4, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Rediscovering the Earth by Michal Hall was a very quick read with a powerful message. This is a book full of both despair and hope that deserves to be read multiple times. It reminds me slightly of Voice of the Elders by Greg Ripley (the first book review I wrote).
The Earth is dying, humans and animals are going extinct quickly, and it is our fault. Humans have let our pride destroy our planet. Our belief that we can control everything and that we are better than even each other has destroyed our connection with other humans. Our pride, wars, and so-called technological advances have polluted the air and water, making it poisonous to humans, plants, and animals alike. In seeing plants and animals as inferior humans have selfishly destroyed entier ecosystems an wiped out species. Within one-hundred years or so humans will be completely gone as well.
This is where The Federation steps in. As a highly evolved alien race, they offer to help pull the human race back from the brink of extinction and at first, humans foolishly deny this help. Thankfully one man by the name of Carl, who is nothing special himself, takes it upon himself to advocate for the entire race. After many years of deliberation on the subject, The Federation decides to help. Even with their help, it takes around twenty years before any major difference is noticed and much longer before most of the damage is reversed. As humans learn a culture of love, humility, and connection to the Earth The Federation hopes humans will one day be able to join them.
Using a work of fiction to bring a serious problem to light is a wonderful idea and may help alert more people to the problem. Telling how help is almost denied because of how selfish and prideful humans are is a slap in the face that we would face destruction before the change. The book is a bit on the repetitive side, which is always disappointing but even more so with shorter books such as this one. I understand the repetitiveness is to drive home the point but it still could have been better. Also, I wish it was more detailed on how Earth went from being in so much trouble to be safe. It seems to make a large time jump in that area and I would have liked to see more of the transformative process.
There is nothing in this book that would be inappropriate for anyone. However, anyone younger than a middle schooler probably would not understand the powerful message in this book, and some middle school students might even miss it. Adults and those that truly love the Earth will enjoy this book and see it as hope. Others who are not as aware of our situation might see it as a wake-up call. I rate this book 3 out of 4. The book brilliantly delivers a very important message. Without holding anything back it shows just how much trouble the world is in but offers hope through change. I hope millions of people across the world get to read this book.
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The Earth is dying, humans and animals are going extinct quickly, and it is our fault. Humans have let our pride destroy our planet. Our belief that we can control everything and that we are better than even each other has destroyed our connection with other humans. Our pride, wars, and so-called technological advances have polluted the air and water, making it poisonous to humans, plants, and animals alike. In seeing plants and animals as inferior humans have selfishly destroyed entier ecosystems an wiped out species. Within one-hundred years or so humans will be completely gone as well.
This is where The Federation steps in. As a highly evolved alien race, they offer to help pull the human race back from the brink of extinction and at first, humans foolishly deny this help. Thankfully one man by the name of Carl, who is nothing special himself, takes it upon himself to advocate for the entire race. After many years of deliberation on the subject, The Federation decides to help. Even with their help, it takes around twenty years before any major difference is noticed and much longer before most of the damage is reversed. As humans learn a culture of love, humility, and connection to the Earth The Federation hopes humans will one day be able to join them.
Using a work of fiction to bring a serious problem to light is a wonderful idea and may help alert more people to the problem. Telling how help is almost denied because of how selfish and prideful humans are is a slap in the face that we would face destruction before the change. The book is a bit on the repetitive side, which is always disappointing but even more so with shorter books such as this one. I understand the repetitiveness is to drive home the point but it still could have been better. Also, I wish it was more detailed on how Earth went from being in so much trouble to be safe. It seems to make a large time jump in that area and I would have liked to see more of the transformative process.
There is nothing in this book that would be inappropriate for anyone. However, anyone younger than a middle schooler probably would not understand the powerful message in this book, and some middle school students might even miss it. Adults and those that truly love the Earth will enjoy this book and see it as hope. Others who are not as aware of our situation might see it as a wake-up call. I rate this book 3 out of 4. The book brilliantly delivers a very important message. Without holding anything back it shows just how much trouble the world is in but offers hope through change. I hope millions of people across the world get to read this book.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
JT (287 KP) rated Riddick (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
When are directors ever going to learn from their own mistakes. I mean you would think it was a no brainer really. Your first film is a hit, the sequel dies on its arse and the third instalment is a chance to right the wrongs and win back the fans – yet you’re not able to capitalise.
Riddick (Vin Diesel) has been left for dead… again, which is becoming something of a habit. This time stranded on a planet with practically no chance of survival. The opening twenty minutes almost plays out like an episode of Bear Grylls, as Riddick fends off an attack from a pack of rabid Alien like dingos, finds water and fixes a broken leg as only he can (causing some wincing from the audience).
This part is slow, although it still proves that Vin Diesel is worth the entrance fee if he’s able to hold the attention on his own for this long. All this messing about tries to set up the film on some kind of narrative, cutting back to how Riddick ended up in this predicament in the first place. Vin Diesel’s character has his Fuyran backstory elaborated further and how he was betrayed and left for dead on the rock we find him on which, incidentally, he thought was his home planet of Fuyra but as he puts it “not Fuyra!”
After the one man show the film moves into overdrive as two teams of bounty hunters descend to take Riddick’s head back in a box. This begins about forty-five minutes of awful one liners and total blatant sexism. The characters are mismatched and none that you really care about. When you suddenly get immersed in the action you get a sense of deja vu taking you back to Predator and Aliens, as the team of crack shots get picked off one by one.
The action is alright but it’s nothing special. The overall shooting of the film isn’t enhanced by the fact it’s all done in front of a green screen.
There are plenty of plot holes and Twohy has to result in pinching a sub plot from Pitch Black as the character Johns (senior in this case) becomes an all too familiar figure. Fans of the original will know what I’m talking about. This does little to enhance the film and is just a glorified way to salvage something that really hasn’t been good from the outset. What made Pitch Black so revering was the fact that we knew nothing about Riddick, he was just there for the ride.
In this we know far too much about him, and personally I didn’t really want to. I liked him how he was, a dark entity with issues and whether or not he was the type of person that you could trust? Perhaps the biggest shock and something of an annoyance was the blatant sexism on show for poor Katee Sackhoff. Clearly a sexy on screen presence she spends most of her time fending off advances from Jordi Mollà’s Santana.
The final act is almost a par with the end of Pitch Black as Riddick and the remaining crew fend off a mass attack from those scorpion like atrocities that we met at the start. Riddick is a step down not up for the franchise and it’s a bit of a misguided mess with a poor script and sexist dialogue. If they even attempt to think of returning for a fourth then they’re going to have to re-shine their eyeballs so they can see more clearly.
Riddick (Vin Diesel) has been left for dead… again, which is becoming something of a habit. This time stranded on a planet with practically no chance of survival. The opening twenty minutes almost plays out like an episode of Bear Grylls, as Riddick fends off an attack from a pack of rabid Alien like dingos, finds water and fixes a broken leg as only he can (causing some wincing from the audience).
This part is slow, although it still proves that Vin Diesel is worth the entrance fee if he’s able to hold the attention on his own for this long. All this messing about tries to set up the film on some kind of narrative, cutting back to how Riddick ended up in this predicament in the first place. Vin Diesel’s character has his Fuyran backstory elaborated further and how he was betrayed and left for dead on the rock we find him on which, incidentally, he thought was his home planet of Fuyra but as he puts it “not Fuyra!”
After the one man show the film moves into overdrive as two teams of bounty hunters descend to take Riddick’s head back in a box. This begins about forty-five minutes of awful one liners and total blatant sexism. The characters are mismatched and none that you really care about. When you suddenly get immersed in the action you get a sense of deja vu taking you back to Predator and Aliens, as the team of crack shots get picked off one by one.
The action is alright but it’s nothing special. The overall shooting of the film isn’t enhanced by the fact it’s all done in front of a green screen.
There are plenty of plot holes and Twohy has to result in pinching a sub plot from Pitch Black as the character Johns (senior in this case) becomes an all too familiar figure. Fans of the original will know what I’m talking about. This does little to enhance the film and is just a glorified way to salvage something that really hasn’t been good from the outset. What made Pitch Black so revering was the fact that we knew nothing about Riddick, he was just there for the ride.
In this we know far too much about him, and personally I didn’t really want to. I liked him how he was, a dark entity with issues and whether or not he was the type of person that you could trust? Perhaps the biggest shock and something of an annoyance was the blatant sexism on show for poor Katee Sackhoff. Clearly a sexy on screen presence she spends most of her time fending off advances from Jordi Mollà’s Santana.
The final act is almost a par with the end of Pitch Black as Riddick and the remaining crew fend off a mass attack from those scorpion like atrocities that we met at the start. Riddick is a step down not up for the franchise and it’s a bit of a misguided mess with a poor script and sexist dialogue. If they even attempt to think of returning for a fourth then they’re going to have to re-shine their eyeballs so they can see more clearly.
JT (287 KP) rated Elysium (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Neill Blomkamp came pretty much out of nowhere. Having only directed a handful of shorts he was handed $30m by Peter Jackson and told to make any film he wanted. That offer for any up and coming director would be as good as winning the lottery and he didn’t disappoint, making the dystopian District 9 which went on to become a smash hit.
So when it was announced that his next project would be called Elysium there was much talk, excitement and anticipation about what it would entail. Blomkamp again focuses on a dystopian society, L.A. to be exact (but not an Alien in sight). With Earth quite literally turned into a shit hole it’s ravaged by crime, poverty and disease along with an ever growing population just looking to survive.
The rich and wealthy made their escape from the planet and reside on a beautiful man made space station called Elysium. Here there is no poverty or sickness and one can be cured instantly by stepping into a medical pod. Dropped into all of this is Max (Matt Damon), a former convict who is trying to get by in life but who still holds a fascination that one day he too will get to live on Elysium as we find out through an early back story.
Elysium is an enjoyable ride of thrills and spills and as a sci-fi actioner it ticks all the relevant boxes.
When an accident at work leaves him with only a few days to live he steps back into the criminal underworld in order to get himself a one way ticket onto Elysium and cure himself and in the process become a saviour for the suffering hordes on Earth. Blomkamp sticks with District 9′s Sharlto Copley an actor plucked from obscurity and who has gone on to make a real name for himself. Here he plays sleeper agent Kruger complete with distinguished South African accent and beard.
Pairing up with him from the safe confines of Elysium is Jodie Foster’s Delacourt, the Secretary of Homeland Security whose cool and unassuming personality gives her licence to literally blast people from outer space while drinking tea. She wants her place as the next Elysium president and so enlists the help of the slimy John Carlyle (William Fichtner) who helps to organise a reboot program for the station which falls into the wrong hands.
Blomkamp keeps the story very much as close to reality as possible without overstepping the mark. A world of poverty and hardship with the rich living the high life, sound familiar?
Filmed on location in the slums of Mexico as opposed to South Africa it lends itself to real life and the harsh reality that this isn’t a film set built with a large overblown budget but a place where everyday folk have to live. The action is captivating both on Earth and in space. A car chase and data heist that encounters a flying Bugatti Veyron. While in space, ships explode and crash into the tranquil surroundings of normality (well as normal as you can get in 2154).
The shaven headed Damon gives a good account of himself whether it’s delivering the dramatic line or battling through the action – complete with exoskeleton he is always reliable.
So when it was announced that his next project would be called Elysium there was much talk, excitement and anticipation about what it would entail. Blomkamp again focuses on a dystopian society, L.A. to be exact (but not an Alien in sight). With Earth quite literally turned into a shit hole it’s ravaged by crime, poverty and disease along with an ever growing population just looking to survive.
The rich and wealthy made their escape from the planet and reside on a beautiful man made space station called Elysium. Here there is no poverty or sickness and one can be cured instantly by stepping into a medical pod. Dropped into all of this is Max (Matt Damon), a former convict who is trying to get by in life but who still holds a fascination that one day he too will get to live on Elysium as we find out through an early back story.
Elysium is an enjoyable ride of thrills and spills and as a sci-fi actioner it ticks all the relevant boxes.
When an accident at work leaves him with only a few days to live he steps back into the criminal underworld in order to get himself a one way ticket onto Elysium and cure himself and in the process become a saviour for the suffering hordes on Earth. Blomkamp sticks with District 9′s Sharlto Copley an actor plucked from obscurity and who has gone on to make a real name for himself. Here he plays sleeper agent Kruger complete with distinguished South African accent and beard.
Pairing up with him from the safe confines of Elysium is Jodie Foster’s Delacourt, the Secretary of Homeland Security whose cool and unassuming personality gives her licence to literally blast people from outer space while drinking tea. She wants her place as the next Elysium president and so enlists the help of the slimy John Carlyle (William Fichtner) who helps to organise a reboot program for the station which falls into the wrong hands.
Blomkamp keeps the story very much as close to reality as possible without overstepping the mark. A world of poverty and hardship with the rich living the high life, sound familiar?
Filmed on location in the slums of Mexico as opposed to South Africa it lends itself to real life and the harsh reality that this isn’t a film set built with a large overblown budget but a place where everyday folk have to live. The action is captivating both on Earth and in space. A car chase and data heist that encounters a flying Bugatti Veyron. While in space, ships explode and crash into the tranquil surroundings of normality (well as normal as you can get in 2154).
The shaven headed Damon gives a good account of himself whether it’s delivering the dramatic line or battling through the action – complete with exoskeleton he is always reliable.
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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) in Movies
Oct 6, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
10 Cloverfield Lane is the second film in the Cloverfield series but isn't a sequel. 10 Cloverfield lane doesn't follow on from the first film but is set at the same time however, there is almost nothing that links the two films (at least to begin with) and even some of the links aren't obvious. for example, right at the beginning of the film, Michelle is grabbing her belongings when the house is shaken. There is nothing made of this however, according to official sources this is caused by Clover's first attack in the first film.
In my review of Cloverfield I stated that it wasn't necessarily the film for Kaiju fans, especially if you want monster vs monster action and this is even more true for 10 Cloverfield Lane. This is not a monster film it's more a phycological thriller.
After leaving her home Michelle is in a car crash and wakes up in a bunker belonging to survivalist Howard. The only other person in the bunker is Howards neighbour, Emmett.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a slow burn, Howard tells Michelle that there has been an attack and that she can't leave because the air is probably contaminated, Michelle is not sure if this is true. And this is where the film is clever, if you know about the connection to the first Cloverfield film then you know that there could be something out there but that it may not be contamination, if you don't know about the connection then the attack could be possible. It's John Goodman's acting as Howard that really pulls the film along, sometimes he seems believable whilst other times he seems crazy never quite revealing just how much he actually knows, right down to his last line where he tells Michelle that she can't out run what is out there, hinting that he knows what is really going on.
It's the end of the film that (kind of) links 10 Cloverfield Lane to Cloverfield but still possibly not the part you'd think. When Michelle finally gets out of the bunker she is attacked by monsters but nothing we've seen before, there is a four legged dog type thing that is not one of the parasites from the first film and what at first looks like a space ship (an idea that is further enhanced by something Howard had said earlier) but we later see that it is a creature with a mechanical looking shell, this creature also has two tentacles similar to those on Clover. The biggest link to the first film is actually after these creatures, there are radio announcements that 'we have taken back the coast' referring to the fact that we the army have defeated Clover, showing us how much time has past.
As I said, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a good thriller, if you take it for what it is (not a monster film) then it is tense and enjoyable but, if you don't know about the link then the monsters at the end would be just odd as, if it was a stand alone film, it would work better as an invasion, even if it was an alien invasion where as these monsters do just seem to be there.
As an attempt to create a larger world and to show how the events in the first film affect other places it's a good start but there needs to more. Of course there is a third film but more about that next time.
In my review of Cloverfield I stated that it wasn't necessarily the film for Kaiju fans, especially if you want monster vs monster action and this is even more true for 10 Cloverfield Lane. This is not a monster film it's more a phycological thriller.
After leaving her home Michelle is in a car crash and wakes up in a bunker belonging to survivalist Howard. The only other person in the bunker is Howards neighbour, Emmett.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a slow burn, Howard tells Michelle that there has been an attack and that she can't leave because the air is probably contaminated, Michelle is not sure if this is true. And this is where the film is clever, if you know about the connection to the first Cloverfield film then you know that there could be something out there but that it may not be contamination, if you don't know about the connection then the attack could be possible. It's John Goodman's acting as Howard that really pulls the film along, sometimes he seems believable whilst other times he seems crazy never quite revealing just how much he actually knows, right down to his last line where he tells Michelle that she can't out run what is out there, hinting that he knows what is really going on.
It's the end of the film that (kind of) links 10 Cloverfield Lane to Cloverfield but still possibly not the part you'd think. When Michelle finally gets out of the bunker she is attacked by monsters but nothing we've seen before, there is a four legged dog type thing that is not one of the parasites from the first film and what at first looks like a space ship (an idea that is further enhanced by something Howard had said earlier) but we later see that it is a creature with a mechanical looking shell, this creature also has two tentacles similar to those on Clover. The biggest link to the first film is actually after these creatures, there are radio announcements that 'we have taken back the coast' referring to the fact that we the army have defeated Clover, showing us how much time has past.
As I said, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a good thriller, if you take it for what it is (not a monster film) then it is tense and enjoyable but, if you don't know about the link then the monsters at the end would be just odd as, if it was a stand alone film, it would work better as an invasion, even if it was an alien invasion where as these monsters do just seem to be there.
As an attempt to create a larger world and to show how the events in the first film affect other places it's a good start but there needs to more. Of course there is a third film but more about that next time.