TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
No, I'm not really a "fan" of Emmerich. That wouldn't be the right word. And yes, his films tend to strain credulity so much that it risks breaking. But let's admit it... he makes good popcorn flicks(with the exception of 10,000 B.C., that was awful). They tend to be enjoyable, exciting and just plain fun. And this really is no exception; while he gets larger budgets and more attention today, he could certainly deliver back then, as well. This does have a big name... I mean, Alexander Kruemmel, that's plenty of letters. Just kidding; I'm referring to McDowell, of course. The acting ranges, though this does manage to make Paré appear almost charming. I loved seeing Brian Thompson again(two appearances in Charmed, minor role in The Terminator, and he's played Klingons; what he may lack in range, he attempts to make up for in muscle, cool to see), even if they gave him unflattering facial hair. The FX are great. Dialog is pretty good, humorous and can be fairly sharp. The sets are reminiscent of Alien, and quite nice. This has guts. There is commentary on the world. The tension is reasonably effective. Arguably, there is not a ton of action(with that said, what there is usually is well-done)... then again, it's 92 minutes sans credits. There is plenty of strong language, disturbing content and a little moderate violence in this. I recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, easy to get into, cheap sci-fi B-movie. 5/10
jayarava
This is a stylish looking movie, with moody lighting and atmospheric industrial sets. The space ships are cool - though why the good guys only have helicopters is a puzzle. The characters are likable enough but some are out-of-the-box Hollywood cutouts. The actors are either almost famous, or look hauntingly like people who are - I spent a lot of time wondering if I had seen them before (I hadn't it turns out). The story is OK, however there are a few plot glitches, and at times the story line is a bit thin. There are no real surprises - and no moral ambiguity. The dialogue is OK but once or twice stinks so bad you'll cringe (it may have been an attempt at humour?). At least there are no sudden swerves into the horror genre, and no completely unexplainable plot twists (as in Sunshine for instance).If you like sci-fi anyway you probably be forgiving enough to enjoy this. I got the DVD for £1 at Tescos so I feel I got my money's worth.
epsilon3
I'm suprised about the amount of positivity expressed towards this movie as it is quite poor. As a long standing SF fan I was looking forward to it, despite it's low budget and the fact that the director's subsequent movies have been less than satisfactory. The good points: The special effects are reasonable (although not great) and the set designs are excellent (quite reminiscent of Alien.) The bad points: Cliche after cliche hits you until you can't take it seriously. The handsome tough guy cop who smokes a cigarette out of the corner of his mouth. You'll hate this character unless you like one dimensional humourless carboard cut out stereotypes. The muscle bound convicts who bully everyone else. IS this a prison for body builders or something? The geeky computer wiz kids and their quirky humour. How we laughed.The obvious 'good guy saves the day' ending. Malcolm Mcdowell. Why does he take movies like this? Such a fine actor is wasted here.The plot holes are too numerous to mention here but there are lots and lots - probably about 44.There really isn't anything to like about this film apart from the average visuals.I advise you to give this one a miss and pick up a very similar but far superiour movie called 'Outland' starring Sean Connery and directed by Peter Hyams.
lorenzo212
Surprise, surprise, as old pal Gomer Pyle used to holler when he found out something surprisingly pleasant - and Moon 44 is all that and more.Perhaps just the first teaming of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin makes this worthy enough to watch. Devlin though, has no producing credits here, he plays future computer nerd Terry, the main assistant to the film's hero, Michael Pare. But Emmerich and Devlin must have hit it off and they marched on to several space themed epics.And while there is some film history emerging, the film is a great treat. It's made sweet and tasty by an interesting story of greed on a grand scale involving planets and resources, with some subtle commentary on prison abuse.There are comic book bad guys, and Runyonesque inhabitants, but this is some mining planet in some BFE solar system, and it needs a little character color to counter the bleak, dark existence portrayed on Moon 44.The story continually moves forward and will hold you to the screen for the entire length. The sets are great and used well. And the acting. For the story, fantastic.Michael Pare, always with that bitter frown frozen to his face, is perfect as a disdainful and resentful undercover agent working with convicts. Where is he now? We could use his hero style on today's screen.The surprise is Dean Devlin as the aforementioned computer nerd of the outer solar systems. He plays the role with sarcasm and dry wit to a tee, perfect for a nerd in the universe.All the supporting cast is perfect, and another surprise is the score, it hits and fits, and I can't see how anyone wouldn't like this one on a late night. And just for fun, see how many cast you can find who played in later Emmerich/Devlin films. Enjoy.
AD
