The Advanced Guard (1998)

As a prelude to full-blown alien invasion, a team of four aliens telepathically linked with their lifelike human-looking android bodies abducts four random humans to test them to determine if humans can make good slaves.

Director:

Peter Geiger

Writers:

Richard Kletter, Peter Geiger

Stars:

Robert Amico, James Avery, David Campbell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Amico	...	Homeless Man killed by Bravo
James Avery	...	Fred, Captive Security Guard
David Campbell	...	Cop 2
Cristi Conaway	...	Charley, Alien
Michelle Davison	...	Ailene, Fred's Girl
Isabella Hofmann	...	Harper, Alien Scientist
Jeff Kober	...	Desmond, Captive Red Neck
Eric Allan Kramer	...	Bravo, Alien Goon
Jennifer O'Dell	...	Girl (as Nonie Muse)
John Prosky	...	Alpha the Alien Commander
Clare Salstrom	...	Laura, Captive
James Sebastian	...	Man
David Jean Thomas	...	Cop 1
Michael Weatherly	...	Kevin, Captive

Storyline

A group of aliens arrive on Earth as part of an advance invasion force. Their mission is to kidnap a small sample of humans and run them through a series of rigorous tests to determine if they would make suitable slaves. Harper, one of the alien experimenters, has beceme frustrated with her planet's endless cycle of conquest and extermination and begins to feel some sympathy for her human captives. While the prisoners see a glimmer of hope in the compassionate alien, will it be any use in stopping the enormous attack fleet just a few days from Earth?

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Plot Keywords:

alien | test | android body | captive | alien invasion | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Titled "Colony" on amazon.

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Goofs

When the abductees awake in the alien spaceship, the tape mark for the position of the first abductee's head can be seen on the floor.

User Reviews

The Shockingly-bad Guard

Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much from The Advanced Guard, but part of me was hoping for a somewhat watchable movie even with flaws. The Advanced Guard in the end was as far away from watchable. I know it's low budget, this wouldn't have mattered so much if it did look halfway decent. Instead it was pure tack, with the lighting lacking any kind of atmosphere and imagination and the sets looking gaudy in colour and like a cheaply done television show set. The editing also looked like it was done on a bacon slicer and that's being kind, and the special effects for the aliens(using suspended animation that wasn't very subtly used, both in how it looked and how often it was used)were so fake-looking. The way people look, dress and act looks dated also and would look more at home in the 70s. The dialogue was stilted and corny and not in an infectious way, this was really poor lazy scripting with not one single memorable line. The story was so silly to the point it was illogical(the naked woman thing I too don't get the significance of and consider her utilisation irrelevant), and also tedious and predictable. The ending also showed a writer who had very quickly run out of ideas. I'd forgive the characters being clichéd if they were interesting, but actually these characters- applying to the aliens as well as the victims- had no personality or development whatsoever so at the end you are like why should I care? The acting is pretty much non-existent. All in all, shockingly bad in all departments. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Colony

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ma & Pa Pictures, The Sci-Fi Channel, Trimark Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color