If an old 1980s post-apocalyptic B-movie such as Mad Max 2 or Cyborg were to be put in some sort of stasis (or what we 80s kids called 'Suspended Animation') and revived in the modern era, The Colony would be the result.
The premise is mind-numbingly simple - the world has entered a new ice age and the straggling survivors live in small groups huddled in underground facilities. When one group loses contact with their neighboring colony, a small group of men take off across the frozen wilderness to investigate. They find the other colony has been decimated by a pack of rabid, sharp teethed cannibals. Cue big chase back across the wilderness and then an assault by the cannibals on our protagonists' colony. Oh gosh, will they survive? That's about it.
As a child of the 80s enjoyed this movie. It was simple, unpretentious and fun in a nostalgic kind of way. Done a hundred times before, yes. Borrowing liberally from other movies, absolutely. Tight, intelligent script - hah you gotta be kidding. But a waste of time, no way. The last time I recall a director aiming for this kind of pre-2000s simplicity was Neil Marshall's 2008 Mad Max homage 'Doomsday', which I kind of liked, but I liked The Colony more.
I'm not gonna gush too much - there are plenty of negatives to sink ones teeth into. The director was clearly aiming for a Danny Boyle (Sunshine/28 Days Later) feel but lacks the chops to pull it off and the whole thing does come across a bit like a poor mans imitation. Fishburne is woefully underused and his character could have been played by any actor dragged off the street. Paxton is fine but typecast into his usual antagonist-in-the-midst-of-the-good-guys role. The lead vampire/zombie/cannibal guy is menacing enough but hugely derivative, looking like he fell straight out of Thirty Days of Night.
The simplicity and brain-off vibe satisfied me enough to give it a solid 6, I'd watch it again too, come a night when the wife is out and the beer is in my hand. But I fear that if you didn't grow up with this kind of movie - say you're a child of the early millennium who expects his action movies served up with a big old dollop of convolution, needless subplots and moral ambiguity - then you're not going to enjoy this at all.
The premise is mind-numbingly simple - the world has entered a new ice age and the straggling survivors live in small groups huddled in underground facilities. When one group loses contact with their neighboring colony, a small group of men take off across the frozen wilderness to investigate. They find the other colony has been decimated by a pack of rabid, sharp teethed cannibals. Cue big chase back across the wilderness and then an assault by the cannibals on our protagonists' colony. Oh gosh, will they survive? That's about it.
As a child of the 80s enjoyed this movie. It was simple, unpretentious and fun in a nostalgic kind of way. Done a hundred times before, yes. Borrowing liberally from other movies, absolutely. Tight, intelligent script - hah you gotta be kidding. But a waste of time, no way. The last time I recall a director aiming for this kind of pre-2000s simplicity was Neil Marshall's 2008 Mad Max homage 'Doomsday', which I kind of liked, but I liked The Colony more.
I'm not gonna gush too much - there are plenty of negatives to sink ones teeth into. The director was clearly aiming for a Danny Boyle (Sunshine/28 Days Later) feel but lacks the chops to pull it off and the whole thing does come across a bit like a poor mans imitation. Fishburne is woefully underused and his character could have been played by any actor dragged off the street. Paxton is fine but typecast into his usual antagonist-in-the-midst-of-the-good-guys role. The lead vampire/zombie/cannibal guy is menacing enough but hugely derivative, looking like he fell straight out of Thirty Days of Night.
The simplicity and brain-off vibe satisfied me enough to give it a solid 6, I'd watch it again too, come a night when the wife is out and the beer is in my hand. But I fear that if you didn't grow up with this kind of movie - say you're a child of the early millennium who expects his action movies served up with a big old dollop of convolution, needless subplots and moral ambiguity - then you're not going to enjoy this at all.