quietearth [Celluloid 11.17.09] post apocalyptic movie review scifi



Year: 2009
Directors: Tony Baez Milan
Writers: Tony Baez Milan & Roger Lay Jr & Ray Bradbury (short story)
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: quietearth
Rating: 2 out of 10

I'd love to tell you this post apocalyptic Bradbury adaptation was enjoyable, but I can't. Good cinematography and production design can't hide a weak script backed by poor acting whose trademark is depressing portension and poorly timed outbursts. Set in a world on the brink of collapse where food is rationed and riots fill the news, Chrysalis fulfills it's promised metamorphosis in such a poor fashion that I can't recommend it.


With barely any setup beyond the vision of the world crumbling, which emanates from an old tv set, and the sickness of Smith (one of the scientists), the story is confined to what looks like a fallout shelter. Little more then steel walls and a bank vault of a door, Smith sneaks outside to plant something in the dying land. Presumably, this greenery has come from the lab where they do research, but for what specifically we are never told. Along with one Doctor's constant foreboding about what "humanity has done", we can assume it's to help solve mankind's current situation.

This "situation" is characterised by radiation and a harmful sun pounding the world which has become a desert. As Smith leaves their protective shelter, visions race behind his eyes, ominous in color and tone and almost intangible in direction. But when he starts to transform, becoming green and supine, we can guess his transfiguration might to be an accustomization to the world's new environment. Or, possibly, a punishment sent from above?

For along with the portension comes the idea, voiced by one of the Doctor's, that humanity's situation might be penance for it's deeds. And this film is punishment for the film industry ignoring Bradbury. Don't get me wrong, I love Bradbury and I tried to like it, but the only good thing was the vision of the world of chaos beyond the bunkers walls.

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soma (12 years ago) Reply

EPIC FAIL. Oh well.

bad dog (12 years ago) Reply

Ouch! Sounds horrible...

Faye89 (12 years ago) Reply

Jeez, who ever reviewed this must've been in a pretty foul mood when he saw the film.
I actually saw this here in Phoenix when it played at the SF Film Fest and it won best film. The crowd I saw it with was really into it as was I. I've been reading Bradbury all my life as have been my parents who introduced me to the author's work. This film is contemplative and I felt it had a lot to say. As all the Bradbury films it's diaologue and idea driven and filled with very poetic conversations. I can see how some people these days would think thats bad since they're used to sci fi movies that are loud and filled with creatures and explosions. If you're into the type of sci fi films like Mutant Chronicles obviously this is not the film for you. If you admire Mr. Bradbury's writing and believe in his many messages of hope and his philosophies regarding mankind's future then you WILL enjoy this.
Check it out. I plan to see it again.
Bytheway any word on a Blu-Ray release?

MonkeyFan (12 years ago) Reply

Totally agree with you Faye89. I thought the film was great. I guess the reviewer wanted everything spelled out. At one of the screenings, I heard that Bradbury even helped with some of the script, so it seems to me that Bradbury had a hand in the script.

Either way, I think this film is one of the better Bradbury adaptations out there...Something Wicked still being the best.

Anonymous (12 years ago) Reply

wasn't the story about a nuclear technician who just ends up in a chrysalis for some reason?

the story was goddammed wonderful, but it was about the docotrs trying to figure out what was going to happen instead of some pretentious musings on global warming

Lotus Eater (12 years ago) Reply

I always wanted to see a full length movie based on the tv epsisode, where some archeologists discover ancient cryochambers out in the desert. They haul the thing to a building and it opens, and out pops and angry ass intelligent dinosaur who proceeds to kick folks asses. They finally defeat the thing, and they are informed that thousands of such cryochambers are found and the show ends.

I would love to see a film, where all these dinosaurs, try to rebuild their civilization, eat all the monkey people so forth.

I have read a few comic books based on this idea. Remnants of a prehuman civilization wake up and attempt to reclaim their world.

AngelsDust (12 years ago) Reply

Junk.

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