Kevin Hoffman (kevinahoffman)
I don't know where to begin. This film is RIDICULOUS. I give it a 10/10 for the reason that I have never seen a more ridiculous movie. Shapeshifter would be great to incorporate into a beer drinking game with friends. Most people would turn this off within the first 2 minutes, but when you're someone like me who spends the entire daylight of Saturday recovering from the prior evening's drunken rampage, and something that seems thoroughly wasteful presents itself to you, you take hold of it for all it's worth (long sentence, huh?). This movie was truly hilarious (although it doesn't intend to be at all). I have the feeling that it was based on a dream some 9-year-old had after a night of eating peanut butter and cheese whiz. Then, the 9-year-old told the dream to his dad (who is a film producer) and, since the film producer had nothing better to do, gives into the kid and does it (which is the final blow necessary in thoroughly destroying his career). I would LOVE to own this movie on DVD with extensive commentary (and deleted footage) so that someone involved in this undertaking can explain to me what they were thinking.If you are an impatient person with a busy life, then you will definitely NOT want to spend any money or time on this film. However, if you're a goofy bum like me, this movie will make your day. ENJOY!.
jar37
I usually enjoy "discovering latent powers" stories, so I'd expected an enjoyable story, but was frequently jerked out of my "suspension of disbelief" & "immersion in the story" by non-acting, lack of "likeableness" & character development, and unbelievable events.The main character's (Alex) line delivery was like an ordinary teen's, not an actor's. His mother acted, but not his father. The "love interest" girl (Anika) was indeed cute & ingenuous, but worthy of more involvement & development. The Cyberwitch's acting was high-energy & fun to receive; her over-confidence, however, was embarrassing & unlikely in such a successful 'bad girl'. The 'bad guy' was OK, and had the best line in the movie (to her). The mentor's acting was satisfying, but his dialogue with Alex was sometimes disjointed, partly due to uninspired writing and partly Alex's non-acting. I did enjoy the old artifacts that he used; that part "resonated" with me.The first half of the movie is spent, boringly, getting to the good/magical part (which needed & deserved more time).THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH COULD BE CONSIDERED A 'SPOILER', though vague.Alex's abilities were unbelievable, because he just gets its right, first time, every time; no learning curve, no stuttering, little doubt; it's just too sudden & too easy to be involving. I never really believed that he was in serious trouble, which erased the suspense. He should've had some serious failures & setbacks; his adversary should've been tougher for him.
ss-14
Good family fun! My 10-year-old son and I enjoyed the great special effects, the twisting plot and the exotic locations.We definitely thought Shapeshifter was several cuts above the typical family fare.
N.Bradley
The mix of magic and technology was not handled nearly as well as I anticipated. The ability of the main character to shapeshift into any creature just by seeing a picture of it.Later in the movie the title character was able to 'dissolve' into data and go fight a 'cyberwitch'. This ability was never completely explained as to how this is possible.For pre-teens, these are probably minor points that many would not catch.
AD
