Tags:
Film: Alone in the Dark
Year: 2005
Director: Uwe Boll
Writer: Elan Mastai, Michael Roesch and Peter Scheerer
Starring: Christian Slater, Tara Reid and Stephen Dorff
Review:
This film begins with some background information. We learn that there was an advanced tribe of Native Americans that found a gate to another world. There were monsters that lived in this other world, but they closed it off. They hid the artifacts as far apart as they could. It also informs us that there is a secret government agency that investigates paranormal things around the world.
We then shift to an orphanage. A young boy has fled from it. We learn that a nun runs it; she is played by Karin Konoval. She tells the police that all of the children there have turned up missing. The boy hides in a shed by some transformers. In his eye we see some large monsters that are dark and walk on all fours.
We jump 22 years in the future. We meet Christian Slater. He is getting off an airplane and gets into a taxi. We cut to an older man, played by Matthew Walker. He tells someone over the phone that they need to intercept Slater and take the artifact he has. The taxi is tailed and it is forced to crash. Slater then fights against a man who is super strong. In the end, Slater kills him.
It then goes to a museum. Working there is Tara Reid. She is the assistant curator and is in charge while the professor is gone. A crate comes in, but it is not checked into their inventory. Reid convinces the man delivering it that she can take it.
It turns out that Reid works for Walker. She tells him about the crate and he scolds her for opening it without his permission. He tells her to leave it alone.
Shifting back to Slater, he learns that his friend from the orphanage has disappeared. He contacts an old co-worker from the government agency and asks him for some intelligence. The agent is played by Frank C. Turner. He is reluctant, but agrees to do it. They agree to meet for lunch to turn the information over to Slater.
It turns out that Slater used to work for the organization and he does not get along with the man in charge, the man is played by Stephen Dorff.
Walker is on a ship that has uncovered a shipwreck. There was a gold box that was found in it and Walker is having it brought up. He doesn’t want it opened, until he is safely locked inside of his room. Once he is, the box is opened. Whatever was inside the box effects the light on the ship. The creatures inside are gone when he leaves and everyone is dead.
It turns out that Slater and Reid are dating, but Slater went off without telling her and she is upset about it. He asks her to check out the artifact he found and it turns out to be similar to the one that Walker had delivered. While they are at the museum, monsters from Slater’s childhood attack the place. The government agency shows up and chases them off. Dorff and Slater butt-heads before it is over.
When Walker returns he notices the information on the computer about the piece that Slater had. There seems to be something up about him.
Donna Lysell and Slater meet during the autopsy of the man that attacked Slater in the beginning. It turns out that he has something connected to his spine that isn’t human. Once it is severed, he died. It turns out that Slater has one inside of him as well, but his never fused fully. Lysell also gives Slater some intel about the monsters. They are called Xenos and they are weak to light. He also gives him some weapons to protect himself.
Reid comes and visits Slater back at his place. It doesn’t take too long before they are attacked about more of creatures. The people from the orphanage who were missing are being controlled and part of this attack. Being able to track them, the agency shows up there. Once they are driven back or killed, Dorff realizes he might need Slater’s help.
Can they solve the mystery of these monsters and the artifacts before it is too late? What is Walker’s role in all of this? What connection does Slater’s memory have to what is going on?
This film is not good. The concept has been done before and with greater success than this one does. With that said, I think the concept is pretty solid. I like the fact about the old civilization learning about this and finding a way to stop it in the past. I think monsters are little bit too computer generated, but they are not horrible either. That is about the extent of what I liked.
The acting was really bad in this one and that is the first thing that hurts it. Reid is good in some roles, but she wasn’t in this one. She wasn’t believable in the role of a scientist. I think Slater overacted in this role too much. Dorff is okay as the head of the unit, but I think he tries too hard as well. The story is bland and was predictable. I just couldn’t get into this, which rarely happens for me.
I wouldn’t recommend seeing this film. It is a waste of time. The acting isn’t very good, even from people who I feel are good actors. There are a lot of convenient things that happen and some of them don’t make a lot of sense. There isn’t enough tension built, it wasn’t scary and since it was based off a video game, they tried to incorporate that into a gunfight scene, which resulted in being horrible in my opinion. This movie is definitely not worth the time for a viewing.
My Rating: 3 out of 10