BelSports
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
ActuallyGlimmer
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Marva
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Rdkimmins
Very little character development and minimal plot make this a pointless video. It's basically a horror film wrapped around a doomsday plot with a hint of zombies. If you have nothing else to do and you have a free copy of the video then go find a book to read. Just terrible.
Rav1122
This movie started out fantastic. A post apocalyptic-type world where the temperature all over the globe plummeted suddenly, leaving any survivors to start underground colonies and work together to survive. If anyone gets even a mild cold, they are either banished or killed, as they can not risk the sickness spreading (and possibly killing) others in the colony. It was a pretty original and unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre.The acting is great on everyones part, a few stereotypical characters and lines delivered here and there, but overall nothing to egregious. The action that takes place at the second colony, and the introduction to "the cannibals" was done very well done. You really do grow to like the characters and you really hope for them to pull through. My problem with the movie starts when they make it back to their main colony.From the point they make it back to their home base the movie takes a horribly stereotypical turn. Characters become stupid, changing their personalities left and right, making horrible choices. The fight scenes are laughably bad, my favorite was when they had 8-10 people with their guns fixed on the big bad guy (who had no weapons or armor, nothing to hide behind or shield himself) and no one decides to shoot him. They all just stare at him until he starts coming for them. Then they all decide to start shooting wildly at the walls instead of the bad guys, who were literally right in front of them. The movie could have been over right there. But as a result, many good guys die and the bad guy is completely unscathed. The last fight scene where the big bad guy is decapitated with a dull cooking knife is especially believable (not).This is overall a pretty entertaining and well shot/acted, but its like they stopped caring toward the end and turned it into a typical action movie (explosion! gun fight! explosion! fire!). I would definitely still recommend watching it if you like generic action movies.
Mac Flagg
NO SPOILERS HERE: A review without a plot summary.How do movies like this get made? I mean, with all the money involved, doesn't someone stop and actually look at the product?Fist off, the script. It must be said that if a plot has to rely on the main characters making a litany of stupid mistakes to move it forward, then its probably not a great, well thought out story to begin with...and that's exactly what we have here with The Colony. There are countless places in the film where the story would have ended abruptly, if only the characters made a good decision. Using character stupidity as a major plot device, in a movie of this genre, is just lazy writing/filmmaking, plain and simple.The script is also ripe with over used horror troupes, which simply fall flat in the modern era of cinema. Audiences have just become to sophisticated for paint-by-numbers suspense for it to cause anxiety, fear, or thrills, simply because it's so predictable. Again, lazy writing/filmmaking.The story also lacks a well defined main theme, whether it be life in an post-apocalyptic earth, a treat from an outside source, or finding salvation. Without direction, the movie as a whole feels empty and meaningless.There is almost no character development. The story is imbalanced, in that, so much time is spent on the journey to and from a location in the film, there's no real time for the audience to get to know and care about the characters. Bill Paxton's character is way underdeveloped and underutilized. Laurence Fishburne's character was only fleshed out enough to be serviceable, but the audience feels not real connection to him, or any of the other characters for that matter. Therefore, it is difficult for the viewer to realty care about any of their fates. Hence, when one of the main characters dies, it carries no emotional impact.The bad force in the film is given no explanation, no back story, and it is very hyperbolic, to the point its almost cartoonish, where it loses its intended impact...especially during the climax if the film.The special effects in the film are only serviceable, as they're just a step above video game quality. This wouldn't have been so bad, if it weren't for the directors Peter Jacksonesque camera sweeps around and above some of the larger digital set pieces.The none of the actors gave memorable performances. Many of the actors seemed to just, "phone it in," as if this film was nothing more than a payday.The cinematography does achieve the feeling of vast openness of the outdoor set pieces. However, the film fails to produce the feeling of true isolation or the claustrophobic effects of living underground.If one could turn back the clock to 1987 and this were a made for TV movie, then it might have been something. But, this film was released in theaters 2013, so it fails to impress. Though, this isn't a film I'd place on the Worst Movies of All Time list, there's nothing worthy about it to make it worth recommending, even if its on Netflix and its a lazy Sunday. There are far better ways to waste your time.
quincytheodore
The Colony could have flourished with good visual and cast, but it squanders the potential before it enters the second act. The main issue is how stagnant and predictable the plot progresses, screenplay it uses is the very generic template for sci-fi genre. It barely possesses any unique qualities, and by the time the movie is over, it will be either forgettable or interchangeable with any mediocre films.Story follows the survivors on Colony 7, led by Briggs (Laurence Fishburne). They have been plagued with the dangerous common cold, in which everyone who even shows symptoms are quarantined, possibly exiled or even killed. They also receive strange message from Colony 5, their neighbor colony and must go to examine whether it's real or not. The overall concept holds some promise, but there are far too many boring narratives and stupid behaviors from the characters to fully realize its prospect.Script is highly foreseeable, down to the sob stories of the survivors, which to the film's credit, would be salvageable if it actually portrays them instead of having guys talk about it. Characters also perform a few needless monologues that don't help setting the tension, they merely drag the movie by a few minutes. Furthermore, many of the characters' decision are moronic, the film tries to convince audience with stress or fear excuse, and even if that's true, it's still stupid by any stretch. This is the equivalent of seeing someone decide to split up in horror flick.Visual is pretty exceptional, it has good sharp contour and vibrant color. However, most of it are used in ordinary hallway full of pipes or barren wastelands, the most notably landmark is broken bridge which could very well be featured in half dozen other sci-fi films. The actors aren't that bad either, it's just the material is too thin and lacking any suspense for them to capitalize on.The Colony might have bits that could've worked, but with too predictable execution and uninspiring plot, a visit isn't exactly recommended.