Spectral (2016) Reviews

• A homage to the gaming world

  reaver80808-552-79992016-12-09

  Not a bad movie. In fact better than some of the huge budget offerings intended for cinema, lately. Don't get me wrong, it's got all the usual clichés. A heroic scientist, tough American soldiers who don't take no s___ and distrust heroic scientists, and the tough female agent. It's also got it's plot holes and as is often the case with this genre, the heroes always manage to be stood in the right place to not get killed, while "nameless soldier" gets it! They also love a montage, where incredible weapons and sciency stuff can be created in only a few hours! But I could forgive all this, because it was fun to watch and didn't feel like a chore at any point. Sure, it won't fire your brain cells to their full extent, but like I said, it has nice touches and a very nice feel, visually. It is reminiscent of recent computer games, such as Gears of War or Titanfall, leading me to believe the creators may be gaming fans. They do get that feel right however. I'd even go as far as to say, give Paul W S Anderson (a staple game/movie director) his WELL deserved marching orders and let this team handle the next game to movie conversion. They seem to understand the look well. It also borrows from previous action/sci-fi movies at some stages. I got a feel of Aliens at one point, and the overall story is VERY reminiscent of Final Fantasy The Spirits Within. There are lot's of little touches throughout, that made me feel I'd been here before, but they never went to the 'ripping off' point, but more a nostalgic tip of the hat to previous sci-fi. The acting is all solid, aside from moments where the characters don't seem quite troubled enough, considering they may be snuffed out by an invisible force at any moment, but that is often the case with these movies, due to the short amount of time they have to set the scene, develop characters and tell the story, but aside from this, everyone is likable, if a little two dimensional overall. I think this is why serialised tories are taking off so much in recent years. The visual effects are also very nice and miles better than I expected for a straight to Netflix movie. I can't recall any moment where I cringed at the effects. The war-torn sets were also nicely done. Don't go in expecting some sci-fi epic that will change your world view. Go in expecting a bit of fun, with some nice effects and a simple story. Not a bad way to spend an hour and forty eight minutes, if you like sci-fi.

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• Not Awful...

  chazview2016-12-10

  It's not exactly a 'Netflix-Original'. Started out as a joint production between Universal and Legendary Films with a budget of 70-million. After completion, Universal wasn't happy with it, Legendary didn't like their feedback and they had a falling out -- the planned 2016 summer theatrical release was canceled. Chinese-owned Legendary Films shopped around, Netflix picked it up as an already finished movie and branded it as a 'Netflix-Original'. Not awful. Competent, experienced cast; OK story and decent effects contribute to a production that had some budget to work with. A few plot-holes here and there, like beings that can fly over things, yet laying iron shavings on the ground provides a barrier of protection because they can't step in it. Contrived ending, but so what -- it's an enjoyable watch... :-)

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• Rock solid; Enjoyable.

  soundmasteraj-clearwavepro2016-12-09

  Loved the performances from the soldiers, their voices were extremely believable; they spoke with clear intent and purpose throughout. The action was well choreographed. I found the sound design to be well done and matched the FX (visual) and corroborated the story being told. The dialog made good sense, and there was an excellent focus on information being conveyed back and forth throughout the characters' interplay, and for the story itself. I found the revelations and discoveries to be quite interesting, feasible, believable, and relatively congruent with science to be satisfying. The first film (for this individual) which relied heavily on "on- the-ground" military action that I felt was non-offensive, nor hyper-stylized... I applaud the film-makers here! Rock solid; Enjoyable.

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• Great original sci-fi

  welsh_dragon_roar2016-12-09

  Netflix have really upped their game with their original titles lately, and this film is no exception. The acting is good, the story is relatively original (considering how many themes are usually recycled ad nauseum in sci-fi) and the special effects were absolutely outstanding. The pace of the film is perfect and there's never a reason to lose interest, especially as our cast delve deeper into the mystery of what's going on and how to deal with it. The tension themes were similar to Darkest Hour & FF:SW insofar as you never quite knew where the threats were going to come from at any given time, despite the countermeasures in place. Some people have compared the story with those two titles pre-release, and after watching you can see how it could be inspired by them, but only as much as other themes in cinema inspire each other; the story itself is very original. If you like your action with an original story and extremely well- polished, then you'll probably enjoy this.

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• Very eye catching

  bonytony-790202016-12-11

  Very good movie, I would recommend it to others seeking a new science fiction story. The second I saw the cover to this movie I was a bit interested I watched the trailer and was sucked in. I immediately watched the film, and loved it. Great idea for a movie, excellent CGI and special effects, good story though it was a tiny bit too short and I wish we got to see more details of plot lines and more action, but not much more is needed. Also it did not have a plot like most sci-fi movies today, meaning it was unique, immediately eye catching and did not have a plot that was too "tryhard" or left me lost or confused for half of the movie by putting too many side stories into it. Overall, it was one of the best movies I've seen lately.

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