The Fourth Kind (2009)

Directed by, Omar Osunsanmi__ Starring, Milla Jovovich.

Alien Abduction, True Story, REAL FOOTAGE! how do you take these three words, make a movie where they are the description, and leave the viewer walking away feeling less convinced? I don't know, just ask the makers of "The Fourth Kind." The Premise of this movie seems to be an attempt at provoking thought over whether or not aliens do exist, by using firsthand accounts on encounters made by a psychologist in Alaska. 


Not only did this film not convince me in the slightest, it also bored me to tears, and annoyed me greatly. Where to begin though...oh yes, lets start with the split screen. Throughout the film, there were reenactments of live footage from the events that took place. For some reason unknown to me, the director thought it would be a good idea to have, on one side of the screen, the reenactment of the video, and on the other, the real footage! ok, just pick one. Not only does the reenactment now serve no purpose, but the veiwer is now annoyed and/or laughing. Let's see, what else...oh yes, now let us take a look at the reenactments of abduction. Why am i paying 20 dollars to see this, when the reenactments are reminiscent of a low-budget history channel documentary? Slow motion, and a blurry screen does not make for a haunting abduction.


Now let us move away from the annoying parts of the film...and focus more on the unconvincing parts. When the real footage was shown, whenever alien phenomenon happened, the camera all too conveniently goes out of focus, and into fuzz, as if the alien forces have distorted it...really... Not only is the footage unconvincing, but at the end of the film it tells us that nearly all those involved with the "real" incidents in Alaska, refused any help to the making of the film. Which leaves us with one source, that of the widowed mother who lost a child (supposedly abducted), and frankly, She seems a bit crazy in her interviews. So, why don't we just make a movie about every whacked out hillbilly who claims alien abduction?


All in all, I think the film would have been much better had they just adapted the story into an exciting alien movie, and then maybe shown some of the real footage during the credits. Sure, that wouldn't have convinced anyone really, but neither did this. so all said, along with sub par acting by almost all involved (minus that of Elias Koteas and Will Patton), made for a film that was not too well thought out, and in turn, hard to watch.

My Rating: BLAND