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Coherence is seldom ambiguous or overly confusing. During moments it does choose to confound the viewer, the film ultimately follows-through with revelations that are not-only eye-opening, they make complete sense within the context of what’s already transpired. Swapping-out spectacle & special effects for convincing characters & intriguing ideas, this wonderful sci-fi obscurity deserves to find a wider audience.
Cosmoball is certainly pretty to look at, though the CGI action and characters look like they belong in an animated cartoon. But for a movie that appears tailor-made for those with short attention spans, it’s unnecessarily long and the messy narrative takes too much personal effort to decipher. Better to forget the plot and enjoy the shiny things ‘till the novelty wears off.
How the titular fish came to exist is never explained, but do you really care? Anyone still reading this were sold by the title alone. But unlike the smug, self-aware silliness of Sharknado and its ilk, Sky Sharks isn’t presented with a nudge-and-a-wink. Sure, it’s goofy as hell, often intentionally. And yeah, the dialogue is godawful, as are some of the visual effects. However, writer-director Marc Fehse (whose name pops up in the end credits for at-least a half-dozen other jobs) compensates with enough soft-core sex, bouncing breasts and over-the-top gore (both practical and CGI) to amuse indiscriminate connoisseurs of cinematic sleaze.
I haven’t yet decided if Synchronic is a better film than The Endless. On one hand, the premise isn’t quite as complex and the story occasionally relies on some contrivances to push it along. On the other hand, it’s more emotionally engaging – thanks to well-realized characters and dialogue – with technical merits that are a considerable improvement. Either way, Benson & Moorhead have put together another intriguing sci-fi film that favors smarts over spectacle.
Still, the film’s pessimistic assessment of humankind befits the bleak subject matter, which certainly keeps it watchable. Some viewers might even walk away thinking the future world of 2067 doesn’t deserve the last-ditch opportunity to bail itself out. I don’t know if that was writer-director Seth Larney’s intent, but he presents a strong argument.
“Dark Encounter” is a low-budget film with an original approach. Despite the fact they diligently borrowed from other well-known films, “Dark Encounter” pleasantly surprised me. And not just because of the originality of the story. But also because of the acting by the almost unknown cast (especially Laura Fraser). Plus the excellent soundtrack and sound effects. And the nostalgic feeling it gave me. It reminded me several times of similar films from the 80s. And the overall mood they managed to create. There’s something else that surprised me after reading about it. It seems as if it all takes place in the U.S. during that period. And yet this movie was entirely filmed in the UK with English actors. Amazing. In short, this SF is highly recommended.
