Plot: What’s it about?
In the isolated reaches of Antarctica, a team of scientists has been engaged in a number of experiments. At the remote station, the men work on different crop experiments, such as genetic tests on corn and growing location experiments. At this time, the main experiment involves some altered corn that is grown in an underground farmland. The days pass and routines start to get tiresome, but the science is important and the men press on. The boredom soon breaks however, as a dig uncovers more than expected. A large block of ice is unearthed, one which holds some kind of object, but this is not just a frozen penguin. Whatever is inside the ice emits a powerful radio signal, which prompts the men to call in outside assistance. The man sent to look into the object is Julian Rome (James Spader), but as soon as he arrives, a vicious storm swoops down and cuts off all outside communication. Rome is an old friend of the project’s lead scientist, as well as an expert in alien affairs. This is because he used to work for SETI, though he was blacklisted for his intense beliefs in alien existence. As the ice melts around the object, it becomes clear it is not a man made artifact. But what is the purpose of this strange device and perhaps more to the point, who left it out the barren lands of Antarctica?
I am all in favor of cool alien movies, but when I laid my eyes on Alien Hunter, I had some serious doubts. The movie just seemed to have made for cable written all over it, which turned out to be the case. Even so, I have no problems with made for television movies, though most do wind up as lame, low end productions. A traditional drama or even comedy can fare well, since there is no need for expensive special effects or what not, but Alien Hunter is a sci/fi picture, which means a low budget can be a serious hindrance. Alien Hunter turns out to be a mediocre picture, one which has some good moments, but never breaks new ground or even comes off as that interesting. And the good moments all seem to be recycled from other movies, mainly John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is often copied in Alien Hunter. But if you’re going to steal, steal from the best and in the end, this movie does have decent atmosphere and suspense. When the performances are bland and the direction is weak however, all the atmosphere and suspense don’t amount to much. James Spader is laughable in this obvious paycheck performance, while former track & field star Carl Lewis shows why athletes should stick to sports. I don’t have much reason to recommend Alien Hunter, if you’re hard up, then it is worth a one shot rental.
A lot of these low budget projects hedge all their bets on one main star, the kind of star that can bring in audiences in droves. This approach sometimes works, especially if the star is female, but more often than not, the trick backfires. In the case of Alien Hunter, the producers forgot one important element in this star process, be sure to nab an actor who people know and has some kind of popular presence. So when they signed James Spader, they must not have known he isn’t the kind of worker who pulls in a massive audience. Yes, Spader is a gifted actor and has some profile with mainstream audiences, but not enough profile to power this clanker. If anything, Spader has harmed his reputation with this project. I mean, if he needed a paycheck this bad, at least he could have earned it, but instead he phones in this performance. Let’s hope he makes up for this lapse in judgment and returns to better productions soon. Other films with Spader include Secretary, 2 Days in the Valley, The Watcher, True Colors, and Critical Care. The cast also includes Janine Eser (Merlin, Undertaker’s Paradise), Aimee Graham (Brokedown Palace, Perdita Durango), and Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey, Black Christmas).
Video: How does it look?
Alien Hunter is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As this film was shown on The Sci/Fi Channel in full frame, I wondered if this was a forced widescreen presentation, but the framing seems excellent. This is a nice visual treatment, one which looks better than you’d expect from a low budget, made for television movie. The print is clean, as it should be for a recent release, with no serious debris or grain to mention. A light grain is evident at times, but not enough to soften the image or what not. The colors have a bright, natural scope and contrast looks stark and consistent, so this is a solid effort from Columbia.
Audio: How does it sound?
I didn’t remember much audio presence when The Sci/Fi Channel ran this movie, but in this edition, it packs more of a punch. This is because we have Dolby Digital 5.1 option here, which opens up the speakers and lets the material breathe a little more. The sound design is solid, with good sound effects throughout the movie, so the track has solid potential. The surrounds are used often, with some good moments of power, as well as more subtle touches. The audio can’t compete with better funded productions, but all things considered, this soundtrack has a better, more expansive presence than expected. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and French, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This movie is an odd choice for a Special Edition, but kudos to Columbia for offering such a loaded disc. Ron Krauss, the film’s director, has an audio commentary track and while not bad, he could have done better. He follows the action too often and even narrates at times, but some decent tidbits surface from time to time. Krauss also shot some location footage, which is a nice inclusion, but his methods leave a lot to be desired. He also provides audio commentary over some deleted scenes, including an alternate end sequence. This disc also includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, storyboard to screen comparisons for three sequences, as well as six extensive still photo galleries.
