The overall concept of the movie is simple - a mining company wanting to profit from military contracts after discovering a vein of a special isotope of Lithium (known for its violent reaction with water) causes the vein to be exposed to the atmosphere. This leads to a nonsensical plot of "smart" lithium that chases water (as that is what lithium reacts to) that can come out of the ground, through pipes, etc.
The insanity continues as these "smart lithium" things begin chasing and burning people to death nearly instantly. First, the concept that a mineral can actively seek out something else - while calling for a leap of faith - is novel. You get a point for creativity. The problem with the concept is that in chasing "water" to react with, the "smart lithium flames" (which resemble a fireball attached to an octopus leg, with an inferno for a body) chase people through foliage (wet plant matter) and even across an open lake. If you have something that "seeks water" actively - why doesn't it ground itself into the lake? Why does it chase the boat (and skier) and blow them up - only to dissipate and vanish immediately after? Why not go after the wake, spray from the boat, or the lake itself? While a reasonable expectation to suspend belief is reasonable, anyone past 3rd grade science can see how ridiculous it is to have "water seeking" flames ignore bodies of water in order to chase the emotionally charged humans.
The scenes underground get incredibly repetitive - and while there isn't much you can do with a rock, it seems like the same 50ft of cave is used over and over throughout the movie. The emotional sub-plots are muted by the ridiculous effects and low-quality acting (mostly from non-lead parts - the worst line in the movie being near the end, "Sir, the fire's going out. The dam's holding" It was so bad, I felt compelled to register on this site simply to comment on it. Everything about that line is terrible - from the obvious green-screen background, camera angle, and the head-bob at the end of the line.)
While it can pass the time, there are a million better things to be doing with your life - and millions of better movies that you could be watching. The lead actors do a decent job, the action keeps things going, but the movie is ruined by some lousy acting and special effects that literally look like unfinished computer animations (particularly the smoke from the explosions under water). The worst part of the movie is the inconsistency with the action of the lithium - not heading towards bodies of water, but chasing people instead.
The insanity continues as these "smart lithium" things begin chasing and burning people to death nearly instantly. First, the concept that a mineral can actively seek out something else - while calling for a leap of faith - is novel. You get a point for creativity. The problem with the concept is that in chasing "water" to react with, the "smart lithium flames" (which resemble a fireball attached to an octopus leg, with an inferno for a body) chase people through foliage (wet plant matter) and even across an open lake. If you have something that "seeks water" actively - why doesn't it ground itself into the lake? Why does it chase the boat (and skier) and blow them up - only to dissipate and vanish immediately after? Why not go after the wake, spray from the boat, or the lake itself? While a reasonable expectation to suspend belief is reasonable, anyone past 3rd grade science can see how ridiculous it is to have "water seeking" flames ignore bodies of water in order to chase the emotionally charged humans.
The scenes underground get incredibly repetitive - and while there isn't much you can do with a rock, it seems like the same 50ft of cave is used over and over throughout the movie. The emotional sub-plots are muted by the ridiculous effects and low-quality acting (mostly from non-lead parts - the worst line in the movie being near the end, "Sir, the fire's going out. The dam's holding" It was so bad, I felt compelled to register on this site simply to comment on it. Everything about that line is terrible - from the obvious green-screen background, camera angle, and the head-bob at the end of the line.)
While it can pass the time, there are a million better things to be doing with your life - and millions of better movies that you could be watching. The lead actors do a decent job, the action keeps things going, but the movie is ruined by some lousy acting and special effects that literally look like unfinished computer animations (particularly the smoke from the explosions under water). The worst part of the movie is the inconsistency with the action of the lithium - not heading towards bodies of water, but chasing people instead.