The Fourth Kind Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi Cast: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton Running Time: 1 hr 35 min Rating: R Release Date: November 6, 2009
The Fourth Kind … Fact or Fiction? True or False? It’s Up to You to Decide
PLOT: An alleged fact-based film on mysterious disappearances in Nome, Alaska. Abigail Tyler (Jovovich and...Tyler herself?) is a psychoanalyst trying to determine why there are so many similar sleep disturbances in Nome.
WHO'S IT FOR? UFOies and conspiracy nuts and the rest of us, as long as we have our trusty grain of salt along for the ride.
EXPECTATIONS: I thought it would be wildly stupid, because it looked, to me, like a rip off of Paranormal Activity. I was all set to dislike it. Read on for the prize inside!
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS: Milla Jovovich as Dr. Abigail Tyler: I remember the days when Milla couldn't act to save a basket of adorable kittens in terrible peril, but she's managed to hold her own lately. She doesn't just look pretty and belch out lines without any attention paid to subtle inflection anymore ... what happened? She's always been fine in the Resident Evil movies, because all she has to do is look hot and growl under her breath, but now she's making it happen. Jovovich pulls her weight as Abigail Tyler (when she's not being overshadowed by ... Abigail Tyler herself?), and I won't even punish her for the painfully cheesy little introduction in the beginning -- that's the writer's fault. Score: 8
Elias Koteas as Dr. Campos: Allegedly Dr. Campos real name was changed to protect his true identity. I'm thinking he might normally go by "The Wimpy Friend." Koteas plays the gutless witness that could set the record straight, but doesn't due to a congenital lack of spinal cord. I guess there's one in every bunch. Score: 6
Will Patton as Sheriff August: Normally, I hate that guy ... you know, the guy who is in a position of power and he could actually be of some use, but he refuses to believe WHAT IS FREAKIN' RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS DAMNED FACE and therefore nothing gets done and the protagonist is stymied. Usually, that guy makes no sense, because people don't act like that without a good reason. Sheriff August has a good reason and Patton pulls it off: he's scared and he'd rather pretend it's not happening. He oscillates between near-hysteria and almost convincing himself it's all mental illness, and I loved that there was actual human motivation, really and truly. Score: 8
SIGHTS: There are some really spooky, cool moments in The Fourth Kind and then there are the scene edits and copy-cat repetitions that are so amateurish, it comes off as a dramatic recreation from Unsolved Mysteries. If not for the constant clash between awesome and mediocre, it would've been better than a ... Score: 7
SOUNDS: Just as ominous as they should be. Listening to someone screaming their head off, while an inhuman voice chants at them in ancient Sumerian is an effective scare tactic. Score: 8
PLOT SPOILERS
BEST SCENE: There are a handful of really great scenes, and honestly, to even hint at what happens would be to spare you a jarring shock. I've decided not to spare you.
ENDING: I thought the end was phenomenal. If you can spring a twist on me and actually manage to surprise me, I'm a happy girl.
QUESTIONS: I had a host of angry, disgusted questions when I first left the movie, but now I'm all good. I did wonder why Dr. Abigail always seemed to leave her office door open whenever she was therapizing with her clients ... I guess in case the people in the waiting room wanted to listen in. Thoughtful of her, really.
REWATCHABILITY: Now that I've done a bit o' research, I would sit through it again.
OVERALL
I had a tough time unpacking my feelings for this movie. Before I started researching more about it, I thought it was appalling and exploitative. If you have genuine footage that shocking and you present it as a means of entertainment, instead of in the form of a documentary, than it is off-the-charts repulsive. It's about ticket sales and entertainment, not actual human interest.
But I've since changed my mind; my research was an eye-opener for me, so, I'm singing a different tune now. Under a whole new set of circumstances, this movie is a great story with a very creative approach. It appears to take The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity approach one step further ... in that it lies its pants off. It fibs straight to your face and doesn't once crack a smile.
Is that a bit disgusting? I go back and forth. Nowadays, the phrase "based on true events" is used even if the only similarity between the movie and reality is that, yes, there were some people and they did some things and then stuff happened. At the same time, The Fourth Kind has an impressive amount of nerve. It takes balls to tell these kinds of whoppers without even flinching and I have to give it credit. It's actually pretty cool, even when it's distracting you with one hand and then picking your pocket with the other.
The nutters will love it and tout it as fact and (I'm assuming) there will be a critical backlash due to the so-called presentation of hard facts. It isn't an award winner either way, but man, it's entertaining. Here's to hoping most readers won't be irritated with me for bursting any serious bubbles. This movie is a lot fun, but only as a con.
FINAL SCORE: 7/10