Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a paleontologist at Columbia University, has been hired by scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) to go to Antarctica to examine a specimen. When they arrive, they realize it's an alien creature that landed in a spaceship over 100,000 years ago. They succeed in retrieving the alien frozen in ice. However, unbeknownst to them, it is still alive and later escapes.
The team, including American pilot Braxton Carter (Joel Edgerton) and research assistant Adam (Eric Christian Olsen), begins to search for the alien. In an attack, one team member is killed and they destroy the alien by burning it. While examining the remains, Kate discovers that the alien imitates its prey at the cellular level. What's more frightening is that the creature is still alive, and thus can be anyone of them.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) is in fine form as the female lead in this male-dominated horror. Her performance (and her character) is smart but vulnerable, yet she's not a damsel in distress. She can certainly handle herself and save the day. Winstead has a strong presence and dominates in her scenes. Joel Edgerton (Warrior) is the Kurt Russell of this movie: charming, strong, and resourceful. He and Winstead have good chemistry and a palpable sexual tension between them.
Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen (Duplicity) has the thankless role of the arrogant boss who makes the wrong decisions and puts everyone in danger's way. He serves his purpose, but the character is simply too predictable to make any impact. Eric Christian Olsen (The Backup Plan) has a better time with his amiable would-be love interest for Kate, plus he has one of the best scenes of the movie. Trond Espen Seim (The Frost) leads a fine cast of Norwegian actors in this production, including Jorgen Langhelle (Betrayal), who plays Lars (the character also appeared in the 1982 movie) with great intensity.
The screenplay, written by Eric Heisserer (Final Destination 5), takes great pain in recreating and expanding on the 1982 movie. It's not just a prequel and homage, but a companion film. What impresses me is that Heisserer manages to match the details of the John Carpenter film and devise a plot that explains these details logically. Best of all, we don't have to watch that film to understand this one, but by watching both films together (which I did upon returning home from the theater), we get a sense of completion and understanding.
But time has changed. While the John Carpenter movie unfolds slowly, this has a much faster pace. The plot takes off immediately and keeps going. Because of the inherent limitations (since most people have problem seen the original), Heisserer doesn't waste too much time building the suspense or trying to over-explain what the alien can do or how to kill it -- we've seen it already in the 1982 film. Also, the tone is different. The original was all about paranoia and desperation. This is more about the horror and confusion of first contact, while the characters figure out what is going on and trying to survive.
Sure, there are cheesy dialogue, predictable moments and plot holes (what horror film, especially a prequel or sequel, can avert that fate?), but the screenplay is surprisingly coherent and taut. Suspenseful even though we already know so much about the alien and what may happen. The thrill is more in what exactly happened, instead of what will happen.
Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. (Zien) is a surprising choice because of his short resume. However, I think he's succeeded in creating a new movie that matches so well the original without losing its own identity. The tone is intact. The production is generally good, matching the original movie to create a coherent continuation. While the direction lacks John Carpenter's finesse, patience, and cinematic effects to induce suspense and awe, it does the job nicely. The upgraded CGI, together with physical effects, serve the film rather well.
While this prequel lacks the suspense, tension and dread (and pure horror) of the original, it is solid entertainment and holds up very well against the classic. As a companion film, it's a thing to behold.
When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns from a business trip in Hong Kong, she gets gravely ill with flu-like symptoms. She's dead within a few days, and when her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) returns from the hospital, he discovers that his stepson has died as well. Mitch discovers that he's immune, but he can't take a chance with his daughter as she may not have inherited his immunity.
Meanwhile, multiple people have also died in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Chicago from a new, highly contagious virus. The outbreak quickly draws the attention of the CDC. Dr. Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) sends specialist Dr. Mears (Kate Winslet) to investigate. Meanwhile, Dr. Orantes (Marion Cotillard) connects the dot and suspects that Beth Emhoff is, in fact, Patient Zero and must have contracted the virus at a casino in Macao. Cheever and his staff are trying to find the cause and a way to come up with a vaccine as quickly as they can, as the outbreak continues to wipe out large populations at a frightening speed. He's also under pressure from Homeland Security to keep the information from the general public to prevent a global panic and meltdown.
Meanwhile, freelance journalist Alan Krumweide (Jude Law) is skeptical about the government's involvement. He makes a name for himself when he cures himself online using an already-available drug. The news causes massive looting and pits Alan in direct conflict with the CDC and Homeland Security. Little do they know Alan is profiting from his new fame and visibility. As millions of people continue to die every day and societies crumble, Cheever and the world are racing against time to find a real cure.
The star-studded cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 2) in a brief but pivotal role as Patient Zero. Her journey to death is disturbing and frightening, signaling what is yet to come. Matt Damon (Hereafter) is solid as her grieving husband, who has to deal with his wife's infidelity and the deaths of her and his stepson, as well as the well-being of his teenage daughter (from a previous marriage). Laurence Fishburne (Predators) has a sizable role as Dr. Cheever, and he handles it with grace and sincerity.
Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes) is effectively slimy and unethical as the rogue journalist, even though you know he speaks the truth (sometimes). Marion Cotillard (Midnight in Paris) is lovely but she doesn't have much to do in the movie. The most sympathetic character belongs to Kate Winslet (The Reader) as Dr. Mears: a kind, compassionate, devoted scientist who succumbs to tragedy because she cares so much.
The screenplay by Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!) takes on a lot with a huge cast of characters. It reminds me of yet another Soderbergh's movie, Traffic. Fortunately, the story here follows a logical plot that unfolds organically, with the characters being in the middle of it. Burns focuses on their parts in the story but doesn't shy away from making it personal for the characters as well. It is not an easy task to develop these characters and make us care about them given the number of characters and how their lives intertwine with one another's (or not).
At times, though, the plot seems contrived and loses focus. There are some threads that can easily be cut without sacrificing the clarity of the story and the flow of the plot. Dialogue seems tight but a bit superficial at times, and there are minor characters that are as flat as cardboard. Over all, however, Burns keeps the focus on just a handful of characters and how they help move the story along. At the end, it feels like we've just watched a few short stories that are linked together by a core thread, and the resulting storytelling is quite effective and dramatic.
Director Steven Soderbergh (The Informant!) is no stranger to thrillers involving multiple characters and a complicated plot structure (think Ocean's 11 or Traffic). His direction is swift and precise, masterful in its pacing and tension building. The editing is exceptionally effective as it intercuts between the multiple characters' story lines while keeping the core story intact. Soderbergh also slows things down to reveal characters and makes us care, and that's very important in a story like this. Otherwise, we'd just be bored while watching the body count goes up.
Contagion is a slick, fast-paced thriller that doesn't forget the human stories. One gripe, though: even though it was shot all over the world with an international cast, the story is predictably US-centric (and it takes an American team to save the day, of course). It could be even more frightening if we were shown the devastation in third-world countries, for example. Still, the filmmakers have given us a realistic portrayal of a global outbreak of a deadly virus. It's frightening and disturbing, because this could really happen. While it's highly entertaining (have popcorns ready), the fear can be contagious.
Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) has been with the New York Ballet for four years but has never risen above the rank of "featured dancer." Her opportunity comes when prima donna Beth (Winona Ryder) is "retiring" (basically, she got the sack). Director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) is staging a new version of Swan Lake and he needs a new leading lady who can dance both the White Swan and the Black Swan. Nina, an introverted woman who has superb technical skills, is perfect for the role of the White Swan, but she is too fragile and frigid to do the Black Swan justice. However, Thomas realizes Nina is the best dancer he has (technically) and she is beautiful, so he gives the role of the Swan Queen to Nina, in hopes that she could let loose and pour her feelings into the roles.
Nina goes from being elated of finally getting her big break to feeling the immense pressure of dancing the dual roles. She has tremendous problems letting go and getting in touch with her seductress/vixen side. Her protective mother, ex-ballerina Erica (Barbara Hershey), doesn't help either by treating Nina as her "sweet little girl." On top of all the pressure of being perfect, Nina becomes paranoid of a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) who, while technically inferior to Nina, has just the right amount of seductive sexiness to pull off the role of the Black Swan. Threatened by her own inadequacy and Lily, Nina struggles to achieve the perfection she so desires, yet begins to learn to let loose and tap into her darker side.
Natalie Portman (Thor) has found a perfect role for herself. The effervescent Portman is excellent as the fragile, frigid, and frightened dancer. To prepare for the role, Portman spent a year training (she already had a background in ballet), and the effort pays off. She looks and acts convincingly (while some of the more sophisticated footwork is done by a double). Most impressive, however, is her emotional range in addition to the physical agility. Ms. Portman's tour-de-force performance would definitely get her an Oscar nomination, if not the actual statuette.
While Ms. Portman carries the entire film on her little dancing feet, the stellar supporting cast includes Mila Kunis (Date Night), who gives possibly her best performance to date as Nina's free-spirit rival. Kunis is gorgeous, of course, but it is her character's sexy, wild personality that is the perfect counterpoint to Portman's frigid beauty. They greatly complement each other. Vincent Cassel (Ocean's Thirteen) is perfect as company director Thomas. He's passionate, brutal, demanding, caring, sexual, artistic… his impeccable performance gives us a three-dimensional character for us to love to hate and hate to love.
Barbara Hershey (Childless) is wonderful as Nina's manipulative and protective mother, Erica. Ms. Hershey's great emotional range adds to the character and also the dysfunctional relationship between Erica and Nina, which is important for us to understand Nina and her plight. Winona Ryder (Star Trek) has always been a good actress, and here, she struts her stuff as the fading star who's been tossed away like yesterday's newspapers. Perhaps Ms. Ryder drew from her own experiences; the result is fantastic. Choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who plays David/the Prince (he is also Ms. Portman's real-life fiance and father of her child; they met on the set of this movie), gives the dancing scenes some gravitas with his superb skills and grace.
The screenplay by Mark Heyman (The Skeleton Twins) and John McLaughlin (Man of the House) follows Andres Heinz's twisted psychology story, which begins slowly. As the fringes of Nina's mental wellbeing unravel, the plot picks up its speed in certain bizarre and unpredictable twists. Suddenly we realize what we see is not always real. Told from the point of view of Nina, who is an unreliable character to say the least, the story takes on interesting turns that leaves us questioning, "What is reality and what is Nina's hallucination?" The taut screenplay also doesn't talk down to the audience by trying to explain everything. In fact, plenty is left unexplained, leaving the story to the audiences' own interpretations.
The most impressive aspect of the story is the character development. We get three-dimensional characters who are neither saints or devils, just human beings trying to find their places in this world but also transcend their mortality. The relationship between Nina and her mother is particularly complex and multilayered. The sexual tension between Thomas and Nina is just as palpable as that between Nina and Lily, which gives the story a dark, unconventional sexual energy that is the antithesis of Nina's control and quest for perfection.
Director Darren Aronofsky is, as usual, amazing. Granted, the story shares a lot of similarities with his last film, The Wrestler. But this version superbly wraps a psychological drama around a beautiful, artistic production. Aronofsky has always been drawn to unusual, dark, and emotionally draining stories such as Requiem for a Dream or Pi. He's done the same here, especially with his extreme closeups and claustrophobic framing. The score by Clint Mansell, mixed with the glorious music of Swan Lake, is fantastically creepy. The editing is excellent and taut, and especially thrilling during the intercuts of the dance movements, between Ms. Portman and her dance double, and between reality and fantasy. 
Aronofsky also uses skillful cinematic tricks to give us the illusions: Is it real or is it not? In fact, I'm beginning to question whether Nina's mother is real, and Aronofsky's direction leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Aronofsky also induces horror by aiming the camera directly at some disturbing images, never shying away. The climactic scenes, from the time Nina transforms herself to the evil Black Swan and then on to the finale as the fragile White Swan, are exhilarating to watch, to listen to, and to feel.
I didn't know what to expect. What I got out of the film is an incredible rush, and a deeply disturbing, fascinating, and emotional journey of an artist sinking into insanity in search of perfection. The film is as black as our twisted thoughts would allow, and as graceful as the swan we revere. 
Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Scottie Thompson (Elaine) are a couple invited to LA by their successful friend Terry (Donald Faison) for a fun week of vacation. Little do they know, Terry wants Jarrod to move there so they can go into business together. Scottie is upset about it, especially she just discovers she's pregnant.
During the night, they wake up to a strange blue light. When Jarrod stares at the light, he's hypnotized and drawn to it, and odd veins start to overtake his body. Fortunately, his friends save him. Later, the blue lights return; Jarrod and Terry go up to the roof to investigate, and they realize they're the subjects of an alien invasion, the humans are drawn to the light and then taken.
The group of friends hide in Terry's condo as long as they can, until the alien "scouts" try to find them. They try to escape to the open water, where the alien ships seem to avoid. Without any weapons, however, they can't go very far without being chased by alien creatures and machines. How do they survive?
Eric Balfour (The Spirit) is a capable actor buoyed by his edgy good looks, but he seems to be stuck with playing supporting roles. It's nice to see him in a lead role for once, albeit in a small-budge sci-fi horror. Balfour does his best with the role which, like all the other characters, is rather one-dimensional. Scottie Thompson (Star Trek) is in good form as Elaine. She gives the character a bit more emotional depth simply because we're supposed to care about her because she's pregnant. Sometimes, however, her character is irritating in her whininess.
Donald Faison (Scrubs) plays a variation of his Doctor Turk, and doesn't really have much to do except to either act cocky or scared. He needs to broaden his range. Brittany Daniel (Loveless in Los Angeles) also has nothing to do than act either bratty or scared as Faison's superficial girlfriend. Crystal Reed (CSI: NY) and Neil Hopkins (LOST) have even less to do -- in fact, their roles are firmly in the "expendables" column and we don't know anything about them to even care. The standout is David Zayas (The Expendables) as the gung-ho building manager. Another one-dimensional character, but at least Zayas gives it some life and attitude, effectively channeling Bruce Willis.
The screenwriters are Joshua Cordes and Liam O'Donnell, who are both, alarmingly, special effect specialists. It shows, because their dialogue is bare-bone and cliched, and the characterization is flimsy and superficial. The characters are thinly drawn and serves only as pawns. The real stars of the film are the special effects and alien monsters and machines. In some ways, the entire movie is shaped and structured as a sci-fi porn. Still, there are some intense moments and the writers did create a dire situation and the feeling of helplessness as the characters are trapped in the building. However, some of the tension is forced and contrived. I mean, can't the characters find a safe place to hide and hold out as long as they can? The story particularly falls apart at the end, when a silly and depressing ending almost ruins the entire story, which is shaky to begin with.
Directors Greg and Colin Strause (Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem) also started their character in special effects. To their credit, they do have an an eye for cinematic battles, sci-fi tension and setups and, of course, special effects. That's what they do best and they don't disappoint in that department. They make the best use of their limited budget ($10 million - which is paltry for a sci-fi action) and locations (mostly shot at Greg Strause's condo complex). Granted, the designs and execution resemble previous movies, so there's a certain tired "same old same old" feeling.
The major problem with Skyline is the writing and story. It's trite and cliched and unoriginal. Coupled with the disappointing ending, it hardly soars through the sky.
Residents of the quiet town near Lake Victoria have only one thing to look forward to (or dread) every year: college spring break. A few days before the festivities begin, a seismic event opens up an underwater passage to a subterranean lake, unleashing thousands of prehistoric piranhas. When Sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue) and her deputy (Ving Rhames) discover the body of a local (Richard Dreyfuss), they realize something unusual has happened and call for help.
Meanwhile, spring break is in full swing. Forester's son Jake (Steven R. McQueen) has the hots for the returning student named Kelly (Jessica Szohr). He accepts a job from porn director Derrick Jones (Jerry O'Connell) who is in town to film the Wild, Wild, Wild Girls on Spring Break with two of his stars (Kelly Brook, Riley Steele). Jake manages to string Kelly along and they set out to certain remote areas.
When seismologist Novak (Adam Scott) arrives with his team to help Forester, they realize they have a huge problem in their hands and they must close the lake and shut down spring break. Easier said than done. Soon, the piranhas find their ways to the buffet… I mean, the festivities, and a feast… I mean, mayhem ensures.
Piranhas 3D has a true ensemble cast. There's the young romantic hero Jake Forester played by Steven R. McQueen (The Vampire Diaries), Steve McQueen's grandson. He has that boy-next-door quality and his performance is understated and adequate, given the little depth his character requires. Elisabeth Shue (Hamlet 2) is sexy and cool as Jake's mother and Sheriff of the doomed lakeside town. Ving Rhames (Surrogates) plays the deputy with heroic brawniness.
Jerry O'Connell (Obsessed) is deliciously creepy as the douchebag porn director, with a bunch of real porn stars under his wings. Adam Scott (Leap Year) gets to play a good guy here as the seismologist. Jessica Szohr (Fired Up!) is cute and fun as Jake's love interest, but she, too, lacks real materials to go deeper with her character.
The cameos are great, though, starting with Richard Dreyfuss (W) giving a great send-off to his Matt Hooper in JAWS. Eli Roth (Inglorious Basterds) has a great time playing a wet T-shirt host. And Christopher Lloyd (Wolf Sheep) does a great sendup of Doc Brown (from Back to the Future) as Mr. Goodman.
The screenplay by Pete Goldfinger (Sorority Row) and Josh Stolberg (Sorority Row) borrows everything from JAWS to Night of the Living Dead. The story is just an excuse for gore, nudity, and violent deaths. Surprisingly, though, the plot holds up very well, despite the requisite cheese and gratuitousness. The arc is typical, stereotypical even. We know where it's all going, with the multiple threads and the largely unseen fish lurking in the murky water. We expect the cheesy and the predictability, and we can't wait when all Hell breaks loose.
That said, the plot, after the prologue, does take a bit too long to unfold. I understand there's a myriad of characters to introduce and a need to build it up. Still, there are enough unnecessary characters (such as Kelly's obnoxious boyfriend and his friend) that rather just muddle everything. And some of the plot twists are ridiculous, even for a B-movie. The dialogue is pure cheese, but there's enough humor -- potty or otherwise -- to defuse some of the intensity.
