To begin with, you should definitely watch this movie if you like sci-fi. It is an adequate combination of action and sci-fi tropes to make most sci-fi fans, such as myself, happy. The cinematography is fantastic and the set design is perfect. The monsters/ghost look cool. The prop design looks adequately futuristic without looking clunky or cheap. The effects, specifically the explosions, are very satisfying.
However, (and this is spoilery, for sure) the film doesn't really build up the former regime as hardcore bad guys, but more-so makes you assume all weapons research is fundamentally evil in order to drive the plot. Since most people have no basic idea of what weapons research might entail, basic fear and anxiety doesn't land enough to make this movie suspenseful. The science behind the "ghosts" in the film is not elaborated on, whatsoever, nor does the director include a scene showing how it may fundamentally work. So, there is a logical jump that makes the anti-ghost tech seem unreasonable. The absolute worst part of the movie, in my opinion, is the ending, which has no hook, no "to be continued", and just ends with a "thank you" from a Moldovan child that had experienced US troops invading her homeland, lost her father and brother to the creatures, and somehow ended up being buddy-buddy with complete strangers. The only foreshadowing of possible future complications comes from a CIA reclamation unit arriving to take the technology used to create the ghosts back to the US... something that the main character doesn't even react to, in spite of him previously being the token "anti-violence" character. Basically, this movie has either been aggressively edited down or basic parts of the story arc were unintentionally omitted, making the viewer feel a little cheated by the end.
I gave this an 8/10, because I love watching it, but really wish the story was fleshed out.
However, (and this is spoilery, for sure) the film doesn't really build up the former regime as hardcore bad guys, but more-so makes you assume all weapons research is fundamentally evil in order to drive the plot. Since most people have no basic idea of what weapons research might entail, basic fear and anxiety doesn't land enough to make this movie suspenseful. The science behind the "ghosts" in the film is not elaborated on, whatsoever, nor does the director include a scene showing how it may fundamentally work. So, there is a logical jump that makes the anti-ghost tech seem unreasonable. The absolute worst part of the movie, in my opinion, is the ending, which has no hook, no "to be continued", and just ends with a "thank you" from a Moldovan child that had experienced US troops invading her homeland, lost her father and brother to the creatures, and somehow ended up being buddy-buddy with complete strangers. The only foreshadowing of possible future complications comes from a CIA reclamation unit arriving to take the technology used to create the ghosts back to the US... something that the main character doesn't even react to, in spite of him previously being the token "anti-violence" character. Basically, this movie has either been aggressively edited down or basic parts of the story arc were unintentionally omitted, making the viewer feel a little cheated by the end.
I gave this an 8/10, because I love watching it, but really wish the story was fleshed out.
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