Showdown at Area 51

This movie was bad within the first 5 minutes. It only takes minimal research to find out some basic info about Area 51. 1. It's on a dry lake bed in the Nevada Desert. Not a whole lot of lush green vegetation in the countryside there. 2. It's an actual military installation, not a disguised park. The people at Area 51 are military and in uniform, again no disguises are necessary. So think of a dry fenced in airbase with soldiers. Not a National Park with Rangers. Anyone in uniform has his hair trimmed short and neat. Just putting on a uniform won't fool anyone closer than 50 ft. That was what I noticed in the first 5 minutes. It went downhill from there when I found out that most of the cast can't act and the plot was thin. This doesn't even belong in the Bargain Bin, If anyone makes a DVD of this it's worth more as a coaster.

When two aliens fighting against each other in their spacecrafts crash on Earth at Area 51, a military group goes to the location but they are killed. The former military Jake Townsend (Jason London) seeks news from his brother in the base where his brother serves, and stumbles with the alien Jude (Coby Bell). He is wounded and explains that he needs to find a weapon before the other alien, Kronnan (Jahidi White), activates it to destroy Earth. They team-up with Jake's former girlfriend Monica Gray (Gigi Edgley) to search the weapon while they are hunted down by Kronnan and a paramilitary team. But when Jake meets Kronnan, he tells that Jude is the one who intends to activate the destructive weapon. Who is telling the truth?

"Showdown at Area 51" is a lame and dull film with an awfully written story. There are so many flaws that irritates. For example, Jake is angry with Jude in a moment, when the alien is accused of killing his brother, and teams-up with him on the next moment. Jake impersonates a military, trespasses the base perimeter, kills the leader of the paramilitary and the film has a happy end. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

When an alien crash-lands in Area 51, a former soldier and his girlfriend try to help the being recover a device stolen from a rival alien species that will annihilate Earth before it can launch the initial codes for it to happen.

There wasn't a whole lot here that really wowed me over, as it ends up feeling more like a sci-fi film than a true horror with the aliens almost humanoid and not beasts, the focus on the recovery rather than the graphic kills, and an important error within as the ones we did get weren't very violent anyway, and the large sections of time devoted to the unraveling of the mystery surrounding the device instead of the aliens going after people, so as a horror film this one here is sorely lacking and really not worthwhile. Some of the action scenes are pretty nice and get some decent moments in, including the arrival and wiping out of a security troop on the base in a fun shoot-out, but this is totally undone by the rather insipid idea that comes in at the very end where the loyalties might be questioned by both sides, yet nothing is done with it and it's incredibly disappointing and confusing. Not a whole lot here to like at all.

Rated Unrated/R: Adult Language and Violence.

I enjoyed it. Don't know why some people are complaining - interesting aliens, a fast-paced story, plot twists. Acting wasn't too bad either. And for once, the hero wasn't like a regular guy who all of a sudden becomes superman squared. One could relate to or at least understand the characters, even the 'dumb' ones!! Aliens had their vulnerabilities too. Adding Area 51 added a neat plot depth. I would like to see sequel. Compared to a whole lot of stuff I have seen on Sci-Fi (including one they send a demolition man to repair the moon-HA!) this was a well-written, well-acted movie that held my attention. Where there weaknesses? Sure, but I wasn't expecting Oscar-quality. Not bad for a Saturday evening.

The movie is not even worth reviewing, except for the fact that it stars a one-time legitimate actor named Jason London. I know he is pretty much just a pretty boy, but there was a time when he appeared in legit movies. I wonder what happened to him? I can guess, but I dare not say for fear of being sued. Anyhow, the movie is a very bad -- and I mean very bad --- copy of I COME IN PEACE, which was about two enemy aliens duking it out on Earth. In that incredibly silly but fun movie, which starred another has-been, Dolph Lundgren, the aliens at least looked like something from another planet. In this movie, the aliens are an ordinary-looking black guy and someone dressed in what appears to be an ancient aviator outfit. I have seen worse, but not by much. I only watched it for London, who fails to deliver the goods. He reminds me a little of Kyle McLaughlin, another pretty boy who seems unable to act -- at least ever since SHOWGIRLS. Please avoid this one.