User reviews

The premise of the movie is great, but some poor decisions in the script ruined the movie for me. This could've been a very good, Hitchcockian suspense thriller. Instead, they give away too much too soon, and make every action too predictable. There is some suspense, but it does not pervade the entire film; it is only intermittent. The characters are not very complex at all, and the viewer isn't very vested in any of them by the time things turn sour. As for the ending, I'm not sure what they were going for there.

I was really expecting more from this movie, but left very disappointed. Not the worst I've seen this year, but it also could've been one of the best.

It's a very interesting premise, not one I recall being done. Astronauts from different superpower countries are up in space while world war 3 essentially breaks out down on earth. Problem is it lacks tension and intensity. We didn't get time to get acquainted properly with each of the characters, as well as their connections between each other. Although the film invests initial moments in character development, it falls short in getting a genuine attachment to any of the six characters for me.

However, there's a couple minutes in the movie when the war down below starts, a brief moment when the trust between Russian and American scientists disappears after they both receive orders but don't know if their counterparts also got the exact same ones. While this brings a brief sense of tension, it dissipates quickly, leaving the overall impression of the movie feeling rather meh. Also wouldn't other countries also be on the ISS?

'Gravity' with Sandra bullock was a compelling movie that this one reminded me of. This tries to evoke a sense of claustrophobia, but I didn't feel it. I mean yeah there's the evident spatial constraints and the characters confined to a limited number of rooms, but the film struggles to convey this effectively on screen. Felt very slow, I was aching for it to move on and just get to the end. It's just not much of a memorable watch. The "so do I" line was satisfying though.

I love sci-fi. I love original non-franchise movies. The combination of the two are becoming increasingly scarce. I want these movies to succeed so Hollywood will continue to invest in them. But like with The Creator and 65, we have another failed attempt.

This movie is all over the place. So much of it feels off. The characters are extremely stupid. They make so many questionable decisions. It's just poor writing, which is also likely the reason I could barely get invested in the story.

There are also some questionable sci-fi elements. I caught a couple mistakes with the zero-G. And it was frequently noticeable that they were hanging, not floating. It was ambitious to attempt zero-G scenes for the entire runtime, but like much of this movie, it feels off.

There is also something major that only happens because an astronaut doesn't follow one of the most basic safety procedures, something even a regular movie fan like me would know. They mention it but never explain why that basic procedure wasn't followed.

Another reason I think this movie fails is the performance by lead actress Ariana DeBose. I found it flat and bland. She does not seem like leading role material. I assumed she was a newbie, but she has a decent filmography. It's mostly musicals (which I don't watch), but apparently she won an Oscar, which is shocking to me.

I was looking forward to watching a new movie in theaters opening night. But with this one, it was so unsatisfying that I decided to see another movie right after, unplanned. And it worked out because Godzilla Minus One is drastically better in every way. Watch that instead.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 1/18/2024)

Maybe I know too much about space but this felt incredibly unbelievable. Like the things they do make no sense, it's really rushed and the plot has too many competing factors that don't get enough attention. Also why is there only 2 countries on the ISS, it's literally a global initiative!! It just felt like someone didn't do their homework on how ISS runs to make a believable story. Like none of the characters felt developed, it seemed like none of them knew any skill besides 'science' and no one actually uses the science they are suppose to be on the station for to actually fight against each other. Again it just felt empty and it was such a good idea.

That's pretty much what we've got here. Nothing but a bunch of flat characters being put through one implausible situation after another, making one inexplicable decision after another, making one uninspired dialogue after another, and so on... I don't watch movies for the special effects, but they were so egregiously bad here by modern standards that I got immediately sucked out of the supposedly intense scenes and couldn't feel less for any of the characters, none of whom had any backstory of depth to begin with. And come on, even an amogus youtube let's play holds more intrigue and interest than this.

Although the plot description gives you a good idea of what's ahead - war between Russia and the U. S. - the special effects shows you the actual consequences of the conflict from the International Space Station. It is unnerving. Then, what we see transpire between the Russian and American crew keeps you on the edge of your seat. A woman next to me sounded like she was in agony, closing her eyes and turning her head, moaning oh no! It's a story about allegiances, and how long do you keep them to both your crew mate and to your country, all the while fending for yourself. There is a love story within all the chaos that pulls you in emotionally. You leave with the question of could this happen? And if so, what happens to all that we know?

The premise is fairly strong, but would need a great script that takes the story into a direction that subverts expectations. I. S. S. Doesn't do this. In fact, it goes the route of turning characters stupid and having situations happen to fit the narrative rather than coming off at all realistic.

Nothing is worse than a movie that has plot holes that glaringly stick out while you're watching it. You foresee where the shaky plot will falter, then the film proceeds to flounder itself into becoming more and more stupid because the original plot points are too weak to be paid off in a smart way. It is written into a corner where there's too many instances of plot convenience, with many going off the deep end of all plausibility. Characters inexplicably become different persons on a flip of a dime. At one point a character "dies" off screen only to come back for no reason. A character does evil things early on only to become a good guy by the end. Another character can't speak Russian well at all only to become fluent later. Someone else chooses to make a distraction in an unbelievably dangerous way. If the conflict is between the U. S. and Russia, why is the Yucatan Peninsula being bombed? These, and many other dumb decisions, lead to an end that is perhaps the dumbest moment of all.

Ultimately, when a writer can't figure out a smart way to resolve a conflict, then you should rethink the conflict. I. S. S. Becomes more stupid as it goes because its conflicts are too weak to begin with and it digs itself into a never-ending hole by the end. There's not much positive to say about this, because any positivity that I had was only in the first 30 minutes of the movie. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Initially I wanted to give this movie a 7, but after seeing how poor the average was, I decided to go with an 8, because this movie is much better than the ratings are giving it credit for. Let's start with the acting, the cast of this movie is top notch, everybody in this film was fantastic. As for the pace, I never felt like there was a dull moment in this fairly short movie, it just hummed along at a nice pace and I never felt like it was dragging. The story is believable, which makes for great levels of tension as you find yourself wondering what you'd do in that situation. Overall, this movie is a very great movie and I almost didn't watch because of all the terrible reviews people have written. That just goes to show that we're all different and don't put too much stock in what other people think.

I expected so much more, I dont know what, but more than I got. How do mvies like this even get made? Someone had to write this, then sell it, then millions was wasted making it. Now I wasted my money watching it, don't forget about the few hours I wasted too. The best parts are in the movie preview, so I suggest watching that since that is the most excitement you will get. There were several odd moments that could have went someplace interesting, but the story was never fleshed out, they just suggest things at the end, nothing happened and we have no idea or clue where it would go. So please don't waste your time or money. Huge fail, pass on this one.

I enjoyed the plot overall. It seemed realistic for the situation, wasn't overtly preachy on anything and had some crazy moments. The hardest part watching it was around how they depicted the space experience. The way the astronauts 'floated around' was very distracting for me. So much so that it definitely caused my review to drop a couple stars. The other aspects were just weird character moves and missed opportunities for some action. The floating was obviously done in a green screen harness and was just silly. I almost wished they would have just made up some gravity as a convenience instead of trying to make it seem like space floating. The other aspects were around the characters and how they responded. While I called it realistic, the characters behaved oddly in some of the interactions, felt like it was against the grain of their character at times. Maybe they tried to tackle too much, but for some reason this movie didn't really resonate with me and I would not recommend it to my friends. It was not horrible by any stretch and had good aspects, but it was just not that fun to watch.

Great concept for a story. I found it to be original and exciting. The acting (outside of the zero G) was quite good and I was really drawn in by each of the performances. However, the zero G effects were so bad and it kept pulling me out of the story. It doesn't take an expert to realize just how lazy this production got with ensuring even a hint of accuracy. If this story took place in a near future where artificial gravity was established, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Or I would have enjoyed this movie more as an audio book or audio drama so I could use my imagination of what it looked like. But the visuals were so distracting and disappointing. The story was good and an interesting and original concept that I would have enjoyed if I could have focused.

I'm not sure how this is an April release in cinemas, I watched it back in February at home so it's available on one of the platforms.

It's pretty bad, shockingly bad. It's a poor storyline, poorly acted and pretty nonsensical. Based around different nationalities receiving the same order to take over the I. S. S when war breaks out, not enough spaces on the Souyez so there's a bit of an argument about that and then those that are left duke it out for control.

It's not very memorable, effects are mediocre and it's a bit slow. All the action is in the trailer and not much else happens. I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in the cinema but did make it to the end. Just about.

LIKES:

The RunTime -The movie clocks in at 90 minutes without credits, meaning it's not the monumental time investment -It helps to an extent with the pacing, and gives a concise feeling that is refreshing given some of the bloated experiences.

The Acting -A strong cast for a very character focused movie, I quite enjoyed the crew and the psychological thriller that was assembled for this mission.

-Gallagher is strong in the role cast, the neurotic personality, the composure, and the speech components solid for the part he was cast. Made for a very engaging character that tried to spice up a rather bland story.

-Messina wasn't bad, his character holding some vim, vigor, and guts that I liked seeing come out in a few moments that called for it. Yet, I found his utilization missing a lot of, primarily in the latter half of the movie.

-And for Debose, she was the star, holding the most evolution across the board, the scientist that has a story to tell and kind of tells it. More time was needed, but she was a stronger inclusion than most of the others.

-The other three deserve a shout out for hitting their marks well. Each adding some small sliver that helps round out the cast, but again holding ore potential that a time extension could have helped.

The Music Use -This is no popular track set pumping out of the speakers or original songs that are going to be the next radio storm.

-No, instead, it goes back to some of the classic elements the movies did, using it to establish so much of the mood of the shot.

-I. S. S uses the symphony to help illicit the terror of the moment, sort of representing the very setting that we are in and adding that claustrophobic intensity to the movie.

-Some psychological tones lace the violin work to bring something simple, yet so empowering in this film, and helping add to that experience. An art that seems lost, at least to this level.

The Atmosphere -Another major factor, the movie's cinematography is gorgeous and truly conveys the scope of the I. S. S. And the theatrics happening in this time frame.

-Beautiful outside shots give you the grandiosity of the world below, and the circumstances below that hold this gorgeous effect that is terrifying and yet majestic at the same time.

-Inside the station, the perspective changes so much, that it helps change the tone of the movie, evolving into something that you either will love or hate depending on how much you enjoy the start of the film.

-But throughout it all, you get the emotions in the shot, feel every angle and action as the camera shifts and finds just the right spot and really capture the life in this station and then some.

The Realism -It's a Sci-Fi like movie that holds merit and less fantasy, which helps add to the theme of this movie.

-I felt much of the movie was believable, giving the characters merit and helping add some more suspense and mystery to them.

-And for a movie like this, keeping themselves grounded was, to some degree, worth it and I found it really helping connect so much for the Thrilling element that should appeal to these types of dramas.

The Character Development, To Some Degree -And some of the character testing held the potential for some of the best storytelling given what was going to be tested.

-What starts as one goal, quickly escalates into about four types of moments that test their fortitude, willpower, loyalty, and more, all vying to win over the rest for the goal at hand.

-That enigma of what will win was the driving force for me, alongside what the people would do and that was the thrilling part of the premise of this movie and what it had in store.

-And yet... it might not have been fully reached (see below)

DISLIKES:

The Pacing -The movie tries hard to compact a very loaded story into a short time span, and for me that led to inconsistent and often a disappointing pacing on my part.

-Much of the movie is set up, elaborate additions to the movie testing that character fortitude and giving you a lot of dialogue, planning, and talking about their interests.

-And then... nothing. Sure, the movie evolves to the typical tropes of the thriller element, but the payoff for the buildup didn't quite deliver, making the pacing now seem very much not the right pace for the 90 minutes we had to see.

The Incomplete Feeling -It leads to an ending that has merits that were good for me. Again, the music, the shots, and the acting enough to really help buffer this feeling with the ending.

-Not enough though. I. S. S. Really left me feeling vague and ambiguous finale just feels like a cop out to an extent, much of the characters just losing connections with too soon and feeling that there was so much more to tell.

-As such, the movie has that artistic flair that is beautiful and leaves that lingering feeling in my mind to reflect on. And yet, the fulfillment of the story being complete and not a setup is fleeting, as if drifting out into the void this movie takes place in.

Lackluster -Compared to the potentials of the trailer, the movie kind of felt dull and lackluster in the end.

-Certainly, the morale studying and character building did the work, but so much of the movie felt very cut and dropped in favor of a rapid finish that just didn't hold the same majesty of space.

-But when most of the shocking moments take place in the span of twenty minutes, nor do we have the full essay they seemed to want to take, the result just felt very moot and lacking the bite that I had sought.

THE VERDICT: For me, this film is beautiful on so many levels and again shows the talent of the director and his team to make space come alive, or space station. A fantastic collection of shots, CGI work, and editing really brings the emotions of the space station during this rather charged et of events. Acting brings out the taxation of the station, gives us characters that I wanted to explore and learn more about them as they take on these tests granted to them. Add in that musical element to enhance the factors, and this is an essay on the effects that Hollywood technology can place on you with the right guidance and use. Yet, the short runtime, while respectful for my personal life, doesn't do justice to fully deliver on all the buildup and promise of the movie. Such disappointing finishes left me feeling incomplete, with so much happening in about twenty minutes that the buildup did not feel worth the investment, when there was so much more to tell. Sure, there are these facets of moral testing and inner characters that are natural, realistic, and quite honestly that artistic soul that people like. And yet, I feel there was so much more that could have been done, that another half an hour or a mini-series could have taken given the amount they were putting in. My scores for the movie are:

Sci-Fi/Thriller: 6.5 Movie Overall: 5.5.

I understand why this movie has poor reviews after watching it, and it's because it is making a point that is under appreciated by most. It is not a blockbuster-type move, but cerebral, with good writing. It will not leave you with a great resolution other than your own opinions. I skipped this at the theaters because of the low score, but am so glad I watched it on streaming (Paramount+). I'm a big sci-fi fan and wanted to write a good review which I think it deserves.

The premise is revealed in previews - there is no surprise of what the movie is about. But, unlike movies that give away the best parts in the previews, this story plays out in unexpected ways. Perhaps the execution could have been more impressive - I never pay attention to movie budgets, so I'm not sure what they were working with. I didn't personally recognize any of the actors. The main character is a woman of color, which unfortunately also brings ratings down due to racism. I found her (Ariana DeBose) very likable and well cast.

We know from the previews that nuclear war has broken out on the Earth's surface between Russia and the U. S., while astronauts from both countries are aboard the I. S. S. What is so great is that this could actually happen - there is even politics playing out over the I. S. S. In recent news over the war in Ukraine. As many have pointed out, it is a clever premise. But, unlike what is said by some reviewers, the cleverness does not end there.

I. S. S. Is essentially a war movie. It's about how loyalties and truth break down in war. And, specifically, it's about scientists, and how they get caught up in the politics of war when that is not at all their nature. But, they are still human, so they certainly are not immune to committing acts of horror, or bravery. There were some great tricks of perspective to purposefully confuse the viewer, to not focus on any particular character or side, but to have an objective viewpoint.

If you're looking for a pure action movie that's just zero gravity fights between astronauts with unconventional weapons (which this does have), this may not be the movie for you. Or, if you're looking for a character study with explorations of personal motivations, this also might not be for you. But, if you find the existential questions of war and humanity from a scientist's perspective interesting to ponder, then do not miss I. S. S.

Just got out of watching ISS.. and it was bad.. really bad. To me, it just failed on almost every level. The script and dialogue was just painful. Predicable and just not engaging. The characters had no depth, and did so many silly things. They did not feel like real astronauts and I just kept laughing at many of the things they did. So many of the actions just felt forced and not what the characters would really do. I think most of the actors were pretty good and were doing the best they could. But the script was just so bad, they could only do so much. Visually there were some big problems too. Things just didn't look right. Also some of the emergencies that were happening.. didn't seem to have to be an emergency. There were obviously solutions to the problems.

Just a frustrating experience and really disappointing.

The premise for this film seemed slightly intriguing so I gave it a chance despite my doubts. I thought perhaps the trailer was returning to form by not giving away too much. Instead the filmmakers literally filmed enough scenes to form the trailer. Thankfully this film was only one hour and thirty-five minutes because this was a bore.

The plot is straight forward with both onboard Americans and Russians trying to gain control of the I. S. S. While watching I kept hoping something would happen to give this film some depth but that never happened. Since this film takes place in a single location with a cast of only six people it is very easy to predict everything that will happen.

Frankly, no creativity went into this film. The visuals were barebones as well as the characters. The characters had names and that's all they had. The actors weren't given anything to work with. Each character had a couple of lines of dialogue and had to make do with the minimum they were given.

I found it hard to believe that Americans would be sent into space with Russians and would not be able to speak Russian. There were parts where the Russians would speak Russian but there weren't any subtitles to let the audience know what was said. So it felt as if they were speaking for no reason.

This film missed an opportunity at creating a thriller that could off also been a political/war drama.

The standards for theatrical releases should be reconsidered because there should be no reason why this film should be in theaters. This is easily an early candidate for worst film of the year.

I. S. S.

The initials stand for the International Space Station. I liked watching the shots of the station fly in its orbit around the Earth because a few years ago, I got to see it fly by over Houston while I was running before 6 am. It was absolutely beautiful to see. And it was beautiful to see, in the movie, how the station works as scientists from the US and Russia work together, share their cultures, and their languages.

It was nice to not see a movie where the Americans need English because they can't speak Russian. It was also nice to see the relationship between the scientists... Until the main plot begins as the planet appears to be completely annihilated by nuclear explosions. Each government then instructs their astronauts to seize control of the station. The reason is not revealed at first, but once it is, the importance of what is on that station becomes essential.

The trailer kind of gave me the thought that the Russians and the Americans were going to take physical sides of the station and be all sneaky and stuff. That is not what happens at all. The bravery and character of most of the scientists was a joy to behold. Yeah there was cliché at times, but it was very unpredictable. I was on the edge of my seat, even with other people laughing in the theater.

The tension and suspense was high, regardless of any silliness, and there are several surprises. I liked this movie and would see it again.