MOVIE REVIEW - Apollo18

It's always fun to see new techniques in movie making. Many times a new idea can put a real fresh coat of paint on the movie screen.

The "point of view" technique really got rolling years ago with The Blair Witch Project. The camcorder filmed flick that you were not supposed to know it was real or not. Interesting stuff. Cloverfield a few years ago did the same and did it better. Recently, the Paranormal Activity series has had great success, and been compelling. Now it's Apollo 18. And this tanks badly.

Should be noted, Apollo 18 is complete fiction. There was no Apollo 18 moon mission, but this movie "claims" that there was. This is "actual footage" from an ill-fated seventh moon mission that goes horribly wrong. The two astronauts on the moon run into Russians that are also on the moon. (Also fiction) And then the encounter some kind of bugs things deal that terrorize them, drive them mad, and eventually do not allow them to return home.

The "story" claims that NASA, the Department Of Defense and the government at large have lied to these fine men, and sent them on a mission they knew would end badly. Our hero's do not make it back, and it has a bad ending for all. What this movie is, is a 90 minute commercial for a website that makes claims about the Apollo program and specifically the moon landings. They post it at the beginning and the end of this movie.

Cloverfield, and Paranormal Activity are one thing. But taking on NASA and the Apollo program is very different. For those that were not alive during the program, this is potentially dangerous, as they may view this as history, which it is not. But I do think that the movie going public has learned that these kinds of movies finally are NOT real, and are fiction. And that's a good thing. Even at the end of this one, the "actual footage" is debunked as they run a list of actors and characters. Enough said.

Overall, this is just a mess. Not scary, not compelling, and no real payoff yet again. That has been the problem with all of these kinds of flicks. No real climactic ending. Makes you feel like time has passed, and has been wasted. No reason at all to see this on a big screen, a dollar rental in 90 days if you must, and are bored this winter.

Apoll0 18. Don't be fooled. This is by NO mean Apollo 13. 18 is a waste of time.