Alien: Rubicon

I will usually give a movie 20-30 minutes and that was a challenge with this one. I started it based on the Glamour Shots preview and if cream rises to the top this sunk quick. The B budget acting didn't have a chance with the cheesy script. I've seen four or five of these actors in other things and they did a lot better given the tools they had in those movies. This one just needed to be cleaned up from every corner because it had a decent story to be based on. In theory this story has been told multiple times but they did have a different twist with Rubicon. Overall it was a huge strike out.

You can always spot a poorly made film lazy direction, weak screenwriting, and uninspired performances. Casual viewers might be fooled into giving it four stars, but those who truly understand cinema see the flaws immediately. From the very first scene, everything feels off flat cinematography, predictable dialogue, and a lack of artistic vision. A great film is more than just aesthetics and spectacle; it requires depth, intentional storytelling, and performances that breathe life into every frame. This one fails on all counts.

The problem with bad films isn't just technical flaws it's the absence of passion and originality. A director with a true vision knows how to craft tension, evoke emotion, and make every frame meaningful. When a movie lacks that, it becomes nothing more than a forgettable, soulless product. Some audiences might accept mediocrity, but for those who truly appreciate cinema, it's impossible to ignore when a film is nothing more than a hollow imitation of better works.

Like another reviewer I thought it was something to do with the Aliens franchise but this movie doesn't even deserve the title of movie, instead it should be called a hodgepodge of how not to act. All the main actors were over doing their roles, especially the man playing the helicopter pilot. Possibly the only actor who played their role correctly was the daughter, she sort of held back her "enthusiasm" and seemed the most normal.

Some of the special effects were good, possibly the only saving grace, though someone needs to learn how to do explosions properly.

All up a waste of money and time.

That headline-question is always the last silly line of defense for an otherwise indefensible piece of garbage.

But in this case, the truth is: YES! Easily!

I bet every third person on earth could do better than this. There is no tension, no build up, no basic understanding of storytelling mechanisms at all. It is just 2,5 boring sets where the same five boring characters have stiff, unorganic dialog about a crisis that never feels like anything, because this is the reverse of "show, don't tell!" - all this movie does is tell, and poorly so. It's not even funny bad, not campy in an amusing way. It is just poor. If you want to look at something extremely poor and low effort for 90 minutes this is THE movie for you. Everyone else, stay clear! There is absolutely no entertainment to be had here.

I've enjoyed some of The Asylum's movies and have to admit their special effects have gotten better. Many times their movies fall into the so bad and ridiculous they are great category, but unfortunately this is not one of them. For all it's OK effects, 99% of this movie is just actors standing around in a room talking about the action. If you've seen the trailer you have seen the entire minute of good stuff in this fiasco. As usual there is some LOL absurd dialogue but not enough to make this enjoyable. While watching this and being bored by it I did wonder what these actors do when they get a call telling them they got the part in a movie from The Asylum ? Cry ? Laugh and curse fate ? Wonder how they're going to spend the $45 paycheck ? Not worth watching.