ojja-83898 I saw this movie despite it's 5.8 rating, because I've been pleasantly surprised by other low rated horror films, and this one is another exception. Also, Michael Biehn's presence was a good signSome reviewers have stated that there are plot holes and aborted story lines that are never explained. This is very true. BUT, here's the caveat: it doesn't matter. This movie is about a descent into madness and chaos and it attempts to bring us, quite successfully I might add, all along with it. There are things that aren't explained to the audience, namely who bombed the city, who were the soldiers that appeared and what the hell were they doing with those children? The fact that we're never told any of these things is a a bit maddening. There are scenes of rape and degraded/violent sex, and that's a bit maddening. We watch seemingly normal, likeable people fall apart and turn towards their darkest selves, Lord of the Flies style, and that's a bit maddening.The point of this film isn't to provide the audience with easy answers, it's to make us FEEL the madness that's descending upon the survivors and so these unanswered or aborted plot lines are a device used to HELP move us towards that end, not a PROBLEM with the movie. I suggest that those who were bothered by this like simple answers and for things to be all neatly tied up with a little bow on top. This movie doesn't do that for you, so if that's going to bother you then either skip this movie or allow it to broaden your perspective and help jolt you out of that mindset.Open your minds, enter this movie with no expectations and allow it to take you on a crazy ride and you'll experience a true masterpiece of psychological torture that will leave you feeling deeply moved and disturbed. The actors did an amazing job and the director allowed them free reign to explore their depravity, their cowardice, their scheming, their compromising, their justifications, their holding on to whatever humanity they had left...It was quite difficult to watch at times, but that's a horror movie for you. This movie is not for the faint of heart, that's definitely true.

balatino Of course the scenario has been touched on in many other films. There is also some real love from the film makers visible towards their film. But, as most of the time the movie suffers from their stereotypical protagonists.

ritera1 Very powerful beginning as we're thrust in the first moments of a nuclear attack from---we don't know. Frantic terror was achieved. Then we're immediately in the horror of it all juxtaposed with no immediate physical threat. I say that because they're not being chased down by a monster or serial killer. But there is the deadly radiation outside the locked door. There was a problem in that it should have been a slow boil inside these walls between the people who have survived but had their lives taken from them. But it wasn't.Someone somewhere probably said there must be some sort of external threat. A gun battle. Quckly some sort of bad guys with hazmat suits show up and kidnap a little girl. They're fully prepared and equipped mere hours after the attack. But who are these guys and what is their purpose?A decent fight with those bad guys, although the others take the girl.But never mind that the previous scene had the whole building above them falling down all over them. The bad guys had managed to somehow create a flat surface between the doorway and their "lab". As the opening established, there was a short hallway to the door from a winding stairwell. They would have needed a substantial amount of earth moving equipment for several hours to achieve anything close to this.Okay, so we find out that they're doing experiments of some sort but we forever drop that ball because they want to weld our heroes into their prison. Why wasn't the bad guys guarding that doorway, being that they just lost several soldiers?But just based on pure b-movie adventure, there were worse ways to waste 20 minutes.So we're back to the slow boil, which was better than average. Mom goes nuts for losing daughter. Guy goes nuts from cutting up body (which was effective but probably not necessary). As they start to starve, we find out that the Super is hiding supplies. One of our initial heroes quickly devolves and tortures the Super, thus becoming the head honcho. After this, we glide for awhile in debauchery with no real fluctuation. Then suddenly the only other woman has enough and stages a coup, which leads to the effective and tragic conflict. I was a bit surprised at her selfishness. But I did see where she needed the suit and that one of the other two would have taken it from her. The problem I had was the potential that was lost. There was not enough character development. This was suppose to be a conflict with these characters. The only real change was from Milo Ventimiglia's character, but cursory. Lauren German was supposedly our hero, but was a general overview with no real movement. They did create some compelling characters, but to no real extent.

seanwike I watched this movies years after it was released, knew nothing about it. Post apocalyptic and I'm in, toss in a couple of stars, bonus.Well things go from bad to worse to really off the chain. Watching the characters devolve and unravel just kept me watching. Sort of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know what's going to happen, it's horrible, but you can't avert your eyes away. Just like this movie, when things go south, you're on the ride until it's over, very compelling.Not an easy movie to watch, certainly not for the faint of heart. This is a "take a shower after viewing" type of movie. And you still won't be able to get the feces off of you. (there's the spoiler)