Ghost Voyage

This movie is about 7 strangers who mysteriously 'wake up' on a salvage ship out in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how they got there. Of course, they want off and, equally obvious, it's just not going to be that easy. This movie takes off a bit slow but maintains a decent flow that keeps you watching till the very end just to see how it turns out. It's a bit (quite a bit) predictable but still worthy of holding the viewers interest. It has a bit of a 'Saw' premise with a 'long, lost ghost ship' attitude. Antonio Sabato Jr. is still a good actor (I loved him in Earth 2, the series), I just wonder why he's not doing his thing in bigger movies. Another good actor in this movie is Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, he's been in quite a few movies (The Last Emporer, Mortal Kombat and Memoirs of a Geisha) and he's always interesting to watch...unfortunately his role in this movie is minimal although pivotal. If you're looking for something to kill the time then this movie is for you. Don't expect fireworks but you can prepare to be entertained or, at least, occupied for a while.

Film stars Antonio Sabato Jr with an ensemble of characters who all mysteriously wake up on a ship with no idea how they got there. Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa mysteriously appears as the steward who gives the rules. Horror ensues for the crew members as they learn why they are on the only passengers on this mysterious voyage. Very Stereotypical casting with Sabato as the eventual leader, Russo as the strong female lead, Berlin as the bombshell and the male supporting as either thugs, arrogant son of a wealthy family, sort of a middle age type and the youngster who has drug problems. Poor to average CGI and poor to average acting performance mar this film

When was the last time a decent movie came out of Sci-Fi Pictures? I honestly can't recall even a mediocre one. This one continues their unbroken chain. I will admit that it gets to an intriguing start, placing the characters in a mysterious situation they can't figure out. The sets are also passable for what must have been a low budget.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before the movie starts to collapse. The movie beings with a brisk pace, but it doesn't take long to slow down, enough that the movie is progressing at an agonizingly slow crawl. Also, the characters are poorly developed. They are dull, and don't seem scared or confused that much by the situation that they are finding themselves in. And they are pretty interchangeable in their actions - not one character stands out.

Oh, and the CGI is horrible as well, though you probably guessed that when I announced this was a Sci-Fi Pictures movie.

I was surprised how good "Ghost Voyage" (2008) is. The plot concerns a group of nine people, mostly strangers, who suddenly awaken on a mysterious ship in the middle of the ocean. An enigmatic Asian steward appears and instructs them to follow the rules. Some do, and some don't, to their own peril.

Although quite a bit of the CGI is questionable and the plot is predictable from the get-go (think "Carnival of Souls" or "Purgatory"), the emphasis on character wins the day. At about 90 minutes the film moves right along, maintaining your attention, with a nice increase of suspense toward the end.

Shot in Bulgaria, the film features a nice smörgåsbord of worthy Euro females, starting with the girl-next-door brunette protagonist, played by Deanna Russo, followed by the blonde ghostly seductress, played by Jasmina Toshkova.

The possibility of redemption for those who have ears to hear is hinted at early on and the culmination of this aspect is actually kinda moving.

GRADE: B

This is not the worst I've seen from SyFy, but it was a movie that was sorely lacking in my view. Its redeeming values are some good ideas, some nice eerie interiors(if never really convincing authenticity-wise) and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa trying his best with a character that is really beneath him. However, the special effects while not horrible are clunky at best, while Antonio Sabbato and Deanna Russo are bland in the leads, the story is sluggish and predictable with a twist that manages to fare even worse and next to no thrills or memorable death scenes, the characters are never engaging and are very stereotypical, the direction is dreary and the script never feels as though it is flowing naturally, all feeling clichéd and stilted with nothing much surprising. Overall, had some good ideas but as said already, the sluggish story, hackneyed script, bland acting and the whole forgettable feel of the movie stop it from being anything more than that, and at the end of the day it just doesn't come together. 3/10 Bethany Cox