Kill Command

Just got back from seeing this, and I'm glad I did. Kill Command is a relatively straight-laced sci-fi that takes itself seriously - and is the better for it.

A military team are sent to training, when they are attacked by robots. They are accompanied on this mission by an upgraded woman. I'd go so far as to say it is best to leave the summary here, as the story unfolds in an organic and sometimes surprising way. Dialogue is always solid and acted well, thankfully.

Pacing of shots is excellent in my opinion, although my friend felt it could have been tighter. There are a few jump scares, but the best tension as always is when a scene drags on while we're not quite sure if the team is being observed.

There are some plot holes, but nothing that can't be ignored. Frankly, it just about works in-universe because of the light touch with world building.

Worth the watch, especially for fans of sci-fi.

"Kill Command" resembles another glossy movie from last decade; "Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within" in both positive and negative ways. Story follows a female specialist and a group of soldiers as they are trying to figure out the secretive nature of their enemy, in this case a horde of combat machine. The movie looks good even though the narrative might feel stale as it progresses sluggishly.

Its most valuable asset is certainly its graphic, the effects are riveting and it brings out the sci-fi aspect really well. Camera angles are done to accommodate the sequences between humans and machines, even if there's slight editing twitch, the graphic is a solid feature. Cinematography and color tone work fine to present a secluded setting, both the contrasting outdoor nature and futuristic hallways or rooms. Audience would clearly see the near-future vibe it aims for.

Unfortunately, story moves in sloppy march. It has a good mystery aspect, but nearly everything is repetitive in motion. It doesn't give clear characterization either beyond the gifted girl wanting to understand the situation while the soldiers just want to survive and get the mission done. Acting is presentable only to that effect. It seems that it could fit more, or tidy up some scenes to shorten the length in favor of more content.

As a sci-fi "Kill Command" delivers a fine visual despite its by-the-number narrative. It's enough to separate itself from the horde and a decent foundation for a thriller.

The movie is solid. Acting is actually on par with many of 8+ star films.

The plot is canon and it's been rehashed in countless productions with Terminator franchise somewhere along the line. It is still very watchable when acting, camera work, and special effects are good.

Music is passable, nothing special, but they do avoid turning up volume for cheap scares.

Frankly, this movie can be compared to a novel which had to compete against the best of 19th century writing and came somewhere in the lower middle.

I am just tired of how often script writers fail to justify actions of their characters. I would have liked the protagonists to show at least some semblance of intelligence especially considering the positions they held and the dire situations they were in. The acting, camera-work and production value make up for the deficiencies to some extent but not enough to absolve them. This is a one time watch. The squad leader is dumb and the techie acts like she's artificial intelligence herself. Other then the dumb characters and a predictable plot, the movie is paced beautifully with enough shifts and dynamism to keep you watching. However, it might not be as memorable an experience as it could've been.

This film had the potential to be one of the best sci fi this year. It's low-budget, yet the actors, the scenery, the CGI, the costumes, the effects, the music, the sound they are all top quality.

The direction could have been a bit less cliché at times, in how it handled scenes with "he's watching you" tension. But action/battle scenes manage to deliver a hardcore experience while keeping the atmosphere claustrophobic. I love especially that the battles make sense tactically (except one detail on one scene).

The film manages to pull off its universe. It keeps things believable and consistent. It takes care to explain to the viewer what is happening in terms of technology, without detracting from the action and the suspense.

BUT, the script is horrible. Just when the film manages to pull you in, there comes a bad line or a glaring plot hole to wrench you out again. The actors are great, but they can't shine because their lines are too unrealistic or non-sensical. It made things awkward. On one hand the actors do their job well, on the other hand, you know they are actors because no one in real-life would talk like that in any situation. It's like the script writers made a list of topics to include, but they never filled them out. Dialogues jump wildly from one point to another. Emotions and characters are given the spotlight in one scene only to be abruptly shut down the next.

The plot holes create too many questions. I found myself too often thinking "but that's not how it works" or "isn't this supposed to be different?" or "what happened between here and there". If it wasn't for the bad script I think this film would have easily been an 8/10 for me. Maybe even better.