High Plains Invaders
August. 30,2009In the Old West an outlaw named Sam Phoenix is about to be hanged. But just before the noose tightens, the town is besieged by a lethal alien invader with a laser-shooting stingray and a crazy Sarlacc mouth. The townsfolk scramble but get promptly smoked, save for a handful of survivors led by Phoenix.
Similar titles
Reviews
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.
Where to start...While there were some good actors in this, in addition to some horrible performances, nothing could save this train wreck.The writing was awful. The dialog corny. And the weaponsmaster should have been shot.Let me explain. The setting is Colorado in 1892 if memory serves. The actors are turned loose with modern double-action revolvers. While you might find a model available back then, it would not likely have been in Colorado. Worse, two actors square off, the sound effect for cocking the gun is heard, and neither weapon is cocked.Then, up against powerful badguys, the goodguys don't grab the long guns available in the Sheriff's Office...they ignore them at a time they need more firepower.I could have put up with the cheesy CGI. But the movie just felt so amateurish, par for the course for a SyFy production these days.Even Spike couldn't save this travesty.
The Good:-Neat, Original Idea; Aliens v.s. Cowboys. How can you screw that up?-Nice set design, costumes, casting. Looks like what I imagine a real Western town might have been like if I wasn't being overly critical.-Marsters is fun to see playing the hero.-The production values, action and running around and hammy story-telling was all very formula, but nonetheless executed with competence. It was as good as any average hour-long TV drama, and we've all sat through enough of that stuff without complaint.The Bad:-Dreary lighting. This might have been on purpose, but I found it a bit tiresome. Some clear sunlight would have gone a long way.-The sci-fi thinking is about as sophisticated as a mediocre old Star Trek episode (minus the Kirk/Bones/Spock magic). The alien bugs eat, get this, *Uranium*. -Now, if this were the 1950's when, in the minds of the public, uranium was akin to magical pixie dust; the Gee-Whiz Science of the era, then it might not have seemed hopelessly silly. But today, it's simply not that impressive a trope to run a whole story around. Though, apparently the writer slept through high school science because in his world view, uranium, being the fuel of leading-edge human science *seventy* years ago, must clearly also be the core ingredient of any super-advanced alien society as well.And for some reason, when it comes to this particular brand of silly, other levels of child-like thinking crop up. Because the aliens don't just eat uranium; oh no! It's also their primary weapon! But they don't use radioactive space rays. No sir! They shoot big Indian arrow head chunks of the stuff out of their tails. Uranium is probably the life blood of their entire alien empire as well, but I wouldn't know, because I had to give up two thirds of the way through the story. It just got too dumb for me and I started cringing.-The dialogue was hammy; it sounded like what a child thinks the adult world sounds like. The actors did their best with what they had.Conclusion: "High Plains Invaders" looks pretty good if you don't examine it too closely. If you're a (young) kid, this would probably be fun. But if you're a discerning adult, the whole exercise is tiresome and unrewarding. It's not so bad that you'll feel abused, but I say that after having hit the 'eject' button before finishing.Only watch this if you're under the age of 10, stoned or have absolutely nothing else to do.
This movie is a complete waste of time. Poor acting, poor directing, amazingly poor script and 1990's looking CGI, the budget for this movie should have gone to a project that was worthwhile. While the first few scenes of this movie fool anyone into thinking this is going to be a gripping Sci-Fi Western, it is far from it. Almost every scene is predictable. Being a paid actor, it shouldn't be that hard to play a bad as gun slinging shooter. Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Yule Brenner and John Wayne and so many more have left behind a massive library to learn from. Somehow the crew behind this movie seemed to have missed the basics that are taught from so many movies. The actors may have had a better shot if the scripting and directing had some talent behind them, but even a poorly scripted and directed movie with someone like Clint Eastwood still is enjoyable to watch.
Aliens invade a small town in westernville land. That's it for the plot. There is a lame attempt at a love interest sub plot but it never takes off and just seems like wasted lines.This movie felt like I was watching grown men playing 'lets pretend' out in the back garden. It just had nothing to it that you could believe in. There was no single point throughout the entire film where there was an emotional connection with the audience. The acting was for the most part ridiculous not just hammy and poor but ridiculous. The female bounty hunter was just... I can't think of a superlative to meet so I'll just say miscast. Shouting out her corny lines in this schoolyard westernville town cheap TV accent.The sound was pretty decent. The lighting I did not like. I think maybe a tint or some basic attempt at contrast was needed but it was all very samey and bland. The CGI was just passable not good but it was better than cardboard (although not a funny). All in all a film with very little charm or wit to carry off the lower budget. If you want to see a similar theme in a different setting (i.e. not westernville land town) look for Alien Raiders to see how a film of this kind can be made so much better on similar (if not smaller) budgets.