Reviews

Sure, Army of the Dead had a FEW head-scratching moments with audiences trying to figure out why a character would make a choice he/she did,... but in this prequel, in almost EVERY scene, EVERY character does the most mind-boggling STUPID course of action just for the sake of drama & adding artificial tension & suspense that otherwise wouldn't be there if they'd just stop acting that way & get on with business!

These characters are supposed to be THE BEST in their respective areas. They even are self-aware that what they are doing is like what happens in a lot of movies. But, O. M. G!, while they may each have a MOMENT to shine with their talent, every decision they make otherwise would've led to them being caught a LOOOONG time ago.

MINOR SPOILER HERE: Too many examples of character stupidity, so i'll just use one: Every time the safe cracker is AT the safe, even KNOWING the police are ON THE WAY, he stops & takes time to tell a 5 minute history lesson or story about that safe to his associate before beginning his safe cracking! Or when they open the safe, let's stop & have a romantic interlude before we start taking the money!

High production values, great action, fun presentation, good acting, but having some of THE most STUPID characters in cinema history ensures you have to turn your brain off & just enjoy the ride or you will be screaming at the screen for these characters to do what any 10 year old playing pretend would know better. The characters are beyond FRUSTRATING to watch, and the movie has to constantly remind us that these are "EXPERTS" to justify them not getting caught even though they clearly should, otherwise we'd be constantly wondering how do they even luck out enough to survive another day,.. even without that whole little unimportant zombie apocalypse just beginning!?

I just pretend EVERY one of these people are like "Domino" in Deadpool 2 and have the power to manipulate LUCK in order to not get caught or end up dead. Because, there is absolutely no way ANY of these characters should've survived after the first 5 minutes of this tale.

The "making of" on bluray has the film crew speaking about how they wanted everything to be so realistic in the sets of the ship & this is how NASA thinks ships will be in 20 years, etc etc etc.... Too bad they IGNORED that approach in the plot & characters.

There are so many plot holes and out-right scientific inaccuracies, I was beginning to think the writers were the same ones who wrote Superman 4: the Quest for Peace.

If there was an after-show (ala Talking Dead) I could imagine the producers say "we needed the characters to do this & that because that's how we move the plot along"... regardless if the character or their actions make ANY sense.

These ship crew members are the best & the brightest of humanity yet all but one of them seem to have the IQ in single digits or are all part of a cult that simply believes without any reason whatever their leader in that moment tells them. I was genuinely surprised there was no act 3 plot twist that these kids physically de-evolve into prehistoric cavemen since that's how they seem to be acting already.

The first half of the film seems promising, but the last half can only be enjoyed if you turn your brain off or regress into a preschooler mentality and just watch the pretty pictures on screen.

Neil deGrasse Tyson would have a field day tipping this movie apart! Sure, movies demand a level of suspension of belief,... but when we're placed in a universe where the average human intelligence being just below Forrest Gup range and science & technology have no resemblance to our own, & then we are told to just go with the plot because that's what's happening for no reason other than "this is who we really are" type of explanation, it's pretty darn difficult to be entertained by such mindless tripe.

The the first half hour shows promise; and the production values and acting are top notch - which is it's only saving grace, but otherwise, this movie was such a waste when it could have gone in any number of different directions that the one it settled on.

The trailer made it appear to be an interesting premise. The visuals are outstanding. The story is.. well, there is no story. Things happen for no reason simply because we need the characters to be somewhere for stuff to happen. The characters.. umm.. again, they do whatever the "plot" demands they do. One moment they are strangers, and literally a moment later they are lovers due to one recalled memory that they knew each other as kids.

The story - as such as it is - started building & building, and then.. it simply ends without ANY explanation (even the characters ask each other how can this be? With no logical answers) Basically, the moral of the story is: if big, bad corporate evil doers want you to work for them to make them rich but are also trying to kill you & imprison your lover WHILE you are a fugitive (but forget about your fugitive status within a couple hours) ,... the ONE thing that can solve EVERYONE'S problems {including ignoring the LEGAL "laws" of the both worlds, AND including ignoring the "laws" of science/psychics as established (again with ZERO explanation) during the ending simply because there needs to be a happy ending}.... GET RICH YOURSELF! Because laws of the police and nature do not apply if you are super rich & the audience can ignore EVERYTHING they have been told & learned during the first 95% of the movie (since the characters obviously do as well). That. That is the ONLY explanation for the final 10 minutes of the "story." As an fantasy of an incoherent but beautiful looking dream, this movie works, but it is so ultimately unsatisfying.. especially when it breaks it own established rules for no reason whenever they become an inconvenience to the story.

Here's a spoiler right off the bat concerning the GENRE: If you go in thinking this is a sci-fi film, you will be sorely disappointed. This is a out-right DRAMA -- that has a few non-essential action scenes thrown in that could've been completely deleted & not missed or affect the plot/story or characters in any way -- that happens to be set mostly in space. Yep the setting ids space, that's about as sci-fi as it gets.

The PLOT starts out intriguing but only if you ignore what everyone says so when you find out what's actually happening you won't be disappointed that everyone who guessed at what is probably happening had it right during the first 20 minutes & there are NO surprises whatsoever. The plot only serves Brad Pitt's character to simply BE there. There is NO reason for his character to exist otherwise and he serves NO purpose other than to inject him into the plot.... which creates more issues & turns what was a fairly realistic drama into a "turn off your mind & enjoy what we tell you to enjoy because it will make no sense if you think about it for even a second"

So my spoiler-happy thoughts: there is no security whatsoever in the future with these places as anyone can waltz into any high-security area or read classified material.

And, Brad Pitts character can't make up his mind what he wants, so he simply injects himself into the action. where he inadvertently gets the entire crew killed because HE wants to do what they are assigned to do.... which he literally does, even though he didn't want to? Or maybe he did? He can't make up his mind due to his daddy issues, even when daddy flat out says he doesn't care about anyone or anything other than his mission. Absolutely no events would have played out differently had Pitt's character stayed back & the ship's crew went ahead: destroy the anti-matter engine & kill the the old scientist/dad. Well, the old scientist commits suicide even with Pitt's pleads & intervention, so everything worked out exactly as the original crew was ordered to do. The ending: this is the most depressing "optimistic" ending ever, even if every scientific theory says we can't possibly be the ONLY living life in the universe. but y'know, we got to Neptune so that's the truth now, I guess.

But the most insane part of the movie is: apparently Pitt is now the hero that saved the solar system so his wife who left him NOW wants him back.. because.. y'know... he's a celebrity now I guess. But wait. Think back on all the rules he broke & deaths he caused while he forced himself to be the one to tag along/take over the mission. The moment he was rescued, he should have been dragged to a jail cell and put on trial for all the crimes he committed. But.. we have to have a depressing-happy ending so let's ignore all the realities of his actions. Do yourself and go watch "Gravity" instead. It's not a great movie, but it's a 1000 times better than this nonsensical mess.

Positives: It DOES have fairly decent special effects & sets (with a lot of lens flares that block your view). The performances are "okay" considering the useless one-dimensional dialogue & characters the actors are given.

MASSIVE (unavoidable) SPOILER regarding my biggest complaint: After witnessing unexplainable stuff happening early on (like 20 minutes into the movie!!), the husband and wife watch a video which explains EXACTLY what has happened, how it happened, and precisely HOW TO RESOLVE IT... yet no one does anything about it (the rocks) until the final moments of the story. Instead, they go to a hotel (at least they were smart enough to leave the house) but then inexplicably try other methods to end the haunting, that fail miserably... even though they've known why & how all along.... I understand they never bothered to ask the kid (or maybe never expected their kid would even answer) but when crazy stuff is happening in your home, and you've watched a video that mirrors EXACTLY what is happening, maybe you should pay attention to the video when it explains how to end the craziness! Beyond this glaring plot hole/character flaw, the movie has high production values and the actors do a fine job with what they have. But between the plot, and some parenting of the year (sarcasm), for a horror movie, it has MOMENTS that try to scare you, but no real suspense building up. I've seen worse, but there are other activities I wish I would've done instead of wasting my time watching this flick.

The negatives: I have no idea what the themes of this story are, and the two or three that come to mind is depressingly cynical (friends come and go & trying hard/never giving up on your goals is bad ??). It is all over the place! Nothing said or seen has anything to do with anything else. The father, while having a very unique point of view - and probably reveals why his career is where it's at, gives the most random bad advice,.. twice. Also, had the father simply told it like it is, the plot would have been resolved in about 60 seconds. The shop owner seems to be living in her own universe or is even more intellectually-challenged than we are led to believe (which creates the tension for the entire "plot".) The positives: the acting is outstanding from every cast member!! Natural and believable. The actors take what little they are given and take it to another level that, frankly, the plot doesn't deserve. The performances are simply entertaining from start to finish. (There is one scene in particular between the aspiring actor and his acting coach that is absolutely phenomenal!) The cinematography is both beautiful and realistic at the same time. Overall, I really really wanted to like this movie, I truly did. And it is not bad, but it barely gleaned of potential and never really went anywhere with it (which I think was the point.) I'm all for realistic movies, but there needs to be a point if there is no (strong) plot. Thankfully the acting & cinematography were outstanding enough for this not to be a waste of time.

The production values are great. Acting is good. Special effects are good (CGI is realistic & not fake looking, blending seamlessly). Great variety of locations. Cool props. Cinematography & editing are spot-on. The characters acted realistic instead of dumb - and yes, they celebrate the small things in life since they have been denied those little victories for years; although there was almost zero character development, personalities or background other than for the main 2 people. The robots were ruthless. The dialogue was natural. Yes there was one extremely cringe-worthy moment at the very end* And there are two major, MAJOR plot points** that go unexplained. I don't mean a macguffin, it's practically the entire basis of the whole movie!! This is NOT one of those times when being ambiguous or leaving it to imagination. It would be like a M Night Shyamalan movie without an act 3. Other than the one cringe-worthy moment & 2 huge unexplained plot points, this was a competent entertaining movie. Not great, but not bad. I think I liked it more than I should because it was executed so well. If I had bought a ticket to see it in the theater instead of Netflix, I would say it was money well spent and not a waste. Basically, very entertaining if you turn your brain off*** but thankfully those are very very few moments ... .. . SPOILERS: * Who needs CPR when a kiss will work just as well? (Suffers form Transformers 2-itis: have the girlfriend push the medics away and proclaim her love & repeatedly say I love you.. THAT always works better than any medical procedures.) ** How does the protagonist (& what makes him able to) control the machines? & What was the big ominous plan/end game the Robots had (that is constantly hinted at but we never find out.. over then robots like to download brains & learn stuff from individuals.) *** These alien Robots have the same aiming proficiency as a stormtrooper.

Made in Stillwater, Minnesota by teenage Stillwater resident Tristan James Jensen, this small, independent film is a surprising delight to watch. The bright and colorful palette sets the mood for an adventure that is full of fun and humor, but also grounded in it's own verisimilitude. This movie has a heart and soul that is sorely lacking in most box office cinema. The story centers around characters that are realistic, but neither boring nor over-the-top. We witness these characters in one moment unlocking a mystery all the while reveling in the small things in life and then, they find themselves in an adventure classic characters like The Hardy Boys or even a teen-aged Indiana Jones might have wound up in.

This is a shoestring-budget film but the resourcefulness of the film-makers is a testament to independent features on how a little creativity while working within limits can still create production value. The small budget has almost no baring on the value of how much an audience member can be entertained by this story. The production is executed as well as anything you see on television or from a small studio.

The musical score is perfect. It isn't so bombastic that it draws attention to itself nor so low-key to be forgettable. The well-composed music genuinely mirrors the mood and compliments the atmosphere.

The sound is clear and mixed well, although the ambient noise is a little low at times so there is almost silence, but if the audience is engaged in the moment, they probably won't even have noticed until repeat viewings. It is said that sound is half of what makes a movie technically proficient, and there are no real complaints in that department here.

The acting may not be consistently Academy-award winning, but it is overall very natural. The acting abilities in no way ever takes the audience out of the moment due to the usual pitfalls of young actors. In a movie of this type, audience usually cringes through performances that are either monotonous or wrought with over-acting; almost every line would be stated in a matter-of-fact manner. None of that here. With experience the actors may feel comfortable making different choices, but that is not to say the choices they do make here are necessarily wrong. In an independent film, one of the greatest blessings is a completely believable, natural performance; I believe the actors are successful in giving us that.

The story - researching the Ghost of the Warden house to find out how to bring her peace - is misleadingly simple as it turns out to only be the framework to explore much bigger, deeper themes of quality time, friendship, love, and sacrifice, among others.

Most movies can be classified as either character-driven or plot driven. This well-written tale balances a plot that moves the story forward with a focus on likable, but flawed characters the audience can both identify with and enjoy being on this journey with.

Some people may say the plot is a bit confusing. Almost all the important clues are there. A few vital lines from Charlotte and Gertrude all but explain what is happening, and if that wasn't clear enough, the editing can also help the audience understand what and who the characters are referring to. The dialogue and editing is subtle, but everything you need to know IS there.

Sure, there are a few minor details that are not fully explained, but those are not necessary when it comes to understanding the plot. Some ambiguity can be good. The brain needs exercise just like any other muscle. A thought-provoking cinematic experience can entice the audience's imagination and lead to theories and discussion.

I will admit, at first, I was confused about one of the more surreal aspects of the plot dealing with Parker and the shotgun, but upon repeated viewings, I understood what was happening. This is ingenious writing, especially when it was written by someone who was only a teenager at the time. Once the viewer understands that the entire plot actually revolves around Parker and his battle with depression, the movie makes a lot of sense. Again, almost nothing is overtly, on-the- nose or out-right stated, but there is a sweet, quiet scene between Autumn and Parker that has some very revealing subtext - heartfelt, yet not overly melodramatic.

The final seven minutes kicks the ambiguity into over-drive with an ending that would make M. Night Shyamalan proud - and I loved that!

In conclusion, I personally found this small, independent film to be entertaining - enough that I have had repeated viewings. It is light- years beyond amateur you tube short films and well worth the money I spent buying the DVD. Tristan Jensen should be an inspiration to other aspiring and up-and-coming filmmakers for what he accomplished on "The Unearthing." Considering it had a shoe-string budget, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this movie just as much as a big-budget film any major studio offers. I believe the brainless non-stop action of the box office of late has desensitized audiences to the essential elements of what is expected in "good", quality cinema - elements THIS film has in spades. "The Unearthing" proves that competent directing and acting, along with interesting characters in a well-written story can thrill and entertain audiences without huge special effects and explosions.