I see the movie gets bashed around here pretty hard. Is it for a good reason? That depends. Depends on whether you need a 100 million dollar budget to keep you amused. Because, except for the budget, this movie has all the traits of typical summer blockbuster ("Armageddon", anyone?). And so, it's a solid B-movie - to boot. B-movie. No Oscars for this baby, that's for certain. But... Yesterday I tried to watch "Attack of the Clones". Which probably had a budget 100 times larger than "Fallout"'s. I stopped after five minutes. Though I paid good money for that DVD, I simply couldn't go on. Today, while shopping for groceries, I picked up "Fallout". It sold for and equivalent of $2 (at least 5 times less than the Star Wars movie). Frankly, I didn't expect much. And, oh yes, I didn't GET much, that's for sure. But I've got far more than I did from that bloated vanity-fest from George Lucas, didn't I?
But let's get back to the budgets once more. Everyone says - the script's a trash. Is it? "Armageddon" got 5.6 stars on IMDb (as of this writing). How's "Fallout" worse? In fact, I thing "Fallout"'s script has far more coherence - and makes far more sense (AND common-sense) that "Armageddon"'s. No forced love-interests. No sexist imagery (oh yes, one of the main characters is a woman, BUT - unlike in "Armageddon" and countless other movies like that - here she actually saves the day, AND doesn't get "love interested" ;) by Daniel Baldwin... uh, that would qualify for a horror ;) ) While not perfect, the science here is certainly more in touch with reality than "Armageddon"'s (or "Space Cowboy"'s and the like) - or any other "Science" Fiction movie in recent memory. Also, the script doesn't really even contain that many clichés...
As for acting - it's certainly no "Citizen Kane", but - but I found the acting at least serviceable. Even from Daniel Baldwin, who certainly should look for some other means of support ;) Also, a big surprise from the movie are it's special effects. To my surprise - no CGI here! Only very solid and quite beautiful (and very detailed!) miniature models. Feels a little like watching "2001"'s younger brother...
All that makes "Fallout" - in my opinion - a great B-movie. That has to be seen - and judged! - in context of other B-movies. B-movies the likes of which I haven't seen made for a long time... A small gem of entertainment. Cheap entertainment, but entertainment that surely shows that it's makers REALLY CARED about their creation.
Not everyone has a $100,000,000 to spend... But everyone is able to do their job right. I think "Fallout"'s makers did.
