I didn't want to spend my birthday in front of my computer doing a movie review yesterday. I don't really celebrate my birthday, but I didn't want to spend it being at home all day either. I talked a couple of friends into going out to eat with me and we just hung out for a while and talked. Nothing major but I had fun all the same. Once I got home, I was in the mood to watch my next movie for here. Extinction (2015) is the next to last horror movie I want to watch for here that was left on my DVR, so I'm working them down. About time, as I have a lot of DVDs to work through.
After a zombie outbreak happens, survivors are being bused into a safe zone with a military escort. The lead bus suddenly stops and after some investigation, the people in the second bus begin to realize that zombies are attacking. This causes a panic when a zombie gets on the bus and a woman who is trying to protect her baby girl manages to get away and hides in a truck. Zombies find them and attack, but they are saved by two men who were also on the bus, one is the woman's husband. The baby is fine, but they discover the mom has been bitten. Nine years later, Jack (Jeffrey Donovan) is taking care of his daughter Lu (Quinn McColgan) in a fortified house just outside of the city of Harmony. Patrick (Matthew Fox) lives nearby alone with his dog. Lu is curious about Patrick and especially his dog, but Jack wants Lu to stay away from them. Jack blames Patrick for a lot of stuff that happened in the past, but with Lu's birthday coming up, Jack allows Patrick to come over for dinner. The two share a secret about Lu after all. When it looks like zombies will be attacking soon, will they be able to put their past aside and fight together?
Extinction was co-written by Alberto Marini and Miguel Ángel Vivas, who also directed. It was based on a novel by Juan de Dios Garduño.Extinction ends up being from the USA, Hungry, Spain, and France. It was filmed in Hungry and Spain. I rather enjoyed this one a lot. I think it disappointed some horror fans because it really is more of a drama than anything else. The zombies are rarely seen until towards the end of the film when we get a lot of them attacking where our three characters live. Even so, I liked that the story was a little different for this end of the world thanks to zombies movie. I really liked that it was taking place during the winter. I don't know if that might be why we were not seeing many zombies. I would think that the cold would still affect zombies even if they are dead. With the story taking place in the winter, it set it apart from other zombie films some. This isn't the first zombie film to take place during the winter of course, but I just haven't watched many that do. The hate that Jack has towards Patrick wasn't really justified, at least I felt it wasn't. There are a few flashbacks that fill in the story a little bit after the opening of the film. These were supposed to help fill in why Jack hates Patrick so much and also helps tell us what the secret is with Lu. I got the feeling that Patrick's mind was starting to slip some from being alone so much and trying to find someone else out there who is also alive. In a way, Lu brings him back from that brink. As one person said, it is actually easier to like Patrick over Jack just because Jack comes across as a total asshole towards Patrick. Even going as far as not taking a shot that would have helped Patrick's dog. Eventually, they find and help a woman, played by Clara Lago, which sets things up for the big battle.
The zombies in Extinction end up being a little different. They are just your normal zombies at first, but nine years later they have changed some. They are now completely blind and use sound to find their food. I'm not completely sure why zombies evolved this way, but it was different at least. Because of this, their ears looked pretty weird. Because they use sound, which the characters figure out before the big battle, it made this battle all the more intense as they try to be quiet once a zombie has made it in with them. I also liked that they use loud music at one point to gain an advantage. I know my dad always warned me that loud music would make me go deaf one day.
There are plenty of effects that one has to expect from a zombie film these days, mainly flesh being torn away from bites. Even so, Extinction isn't all that bloody of a film. The shots of flesh being ripped away are done in a way that while we see what is going on, we don't see all that much blood from it. I think that the goriest effect that we get to see is a dead body that has been torn apart by a zombie. Even so, the effects are pretty good. The acting was great.Quinn McColgan especially impressed me here. For a kid actor, she was great. I really liked her sense of wonderment once she gets to see more of the world she lives in. Her reactions to what she has to see were also great. Of course, Jeffrey Donovan and Matthew Fox are also very good as well.
Extinction really liked to pull at the heartstrings. There are a few moments where things get really sad. I managed not to cry any during those moments, but I still found them to be very sad all the same. Once you know the secret that involves Lu, it makes things more emotional really because you feel bad for Lu's dad. While it would have been nice if this had been more of a horror movie, I can't deny that it was still a great film to watch. As always, I will leave up to all of you if you should check out Extinction or not, but I really liked it. If you feel you have the same taste in horror films as I do, then this one would be a good one for you to check out. It is a bit long but still worth the watch. Check it out if you haven't already.
4 out of 5 I would still play with dolls if I had any
After a zombie outbreak happens, survivors are being bused into a safe zone with a military escort. The lead bus suddenly stops and after some investigation, the people in the second bus begin to realize that zombies are attacking. This causes a panic when a zombie gets on the bus and a woman who is trying to protect her baby girl manages to get away and hides in a truck. Zombies find them and attack, but they are saved by two men who were also on the bus, one is the woman's husband. The baby is fine, but they discover the mom has been bitten. Nine years later, Jack (Jeffrey Donovan) is taking care of his daughter Lu (Quinn McColgan) in a fortified house just outside of the city of Harmony. Patrick (Matthew Fox) lives nearby alone with his dog. Lu is curious about Patrick and especially his dog, but Jack wants Lu to stay away from them. Jack blames Patrick for a lot of stuff that happened in the past, but with Lu's birthday coming up, Jack allows Patrick to come over for dinner. The two share a secret about Lu after all. When it looks like zombies will be attacking soon, will they be able to put their past aside and fight together?
Extinction was co-written by Alberto Marini and Miguel Ángel Vivas, who also directed. It was based on a novel by Juan de Dios Garduño.Extinction ends up being from the USA, Hungry, Spain, and France. It was filmed in Hungry and Spain. I rather enjoyed this one a lot. I think it disappointed some horror fans because it really is more of a drama than anything else. The zombies are rarely seen until towards the end of the film when we get a lot of them attacking where our three characters live. Even so, I liked that the story was a little different for this end of the world thanks to zombies movie. I really liked that it was taking place during the winter. I don't know if that might be why we were not seeing many zombies. I would think that the cold would still affect zombies even if they are dead. With the story taking place in the winter, it set it apart from other zombie films some. This isn't the first zombie film to take place during the winter of course, but I just haven't watched many that do. The hate that Jack has towards Patrick wasn't really justified, at least I felt it wasn't. There are a few flashbacks that fill in the story a little bit after the opening of the film. These were supposed to help fill in why Jack hates Patrick so much and also helps tell us what the secret is with Lu. I got the feeling that Patrick's mind was starting to slip some from being alone so much and trying to find someone else out there who is also alive. In a way, Lu brings him back from that brink. As one person said, it is actually easier to like Patrick over Jack just because Jack comes across as a total asshole towards Patrick. Even going as far as not taking a shot that would have helped Patrick's dog. Eventually, they find and help a woman, played by Clara Lago, which sets things up for the big battle.
The zombies in Extinction end up being a little different. They are just your normal zombies at first, but nine years later they have changed some. They are now completely blind and use sound to find their food. I'm not completely sure why zombies evolved this way, but it was different at least. Because of this, their ears looked pretty weird. Because they use sound, which the characters figure out before the big battle, it made this battle all the more intense as they try to be quiet once a zombie has made it in with them. I also liked that they use loud music at one point to gain an advantage. I know my dad always warned me that loud music would make me go deaf one day.
There are plenty of effects that one has to expect from a zombie film these days, mainly flesh being torn away from bites. Even so, Extinction isn't all that bloody of a film. The shots of flesh being ripped away are done in a way that while we see what is going on, we don't see all that much blood from it. I think that the goriest effect that we get to see is a dead body that has been torn apart by a zombie. Even so, the effects are pretty good. The acting was great.Quinn McColgan especially impressed me here. For a kid actor, she was great. I really liked her sense of wonderment once she gets to see more of the world she lives in. Her reactions to what she has to see were also great. Of course, Jeffrey Donovan and Matthew Fox are also very good as well.
Extinction really liked to pull at the heartstrings. There are a few moments where things get really sad. I managed not to cry any during those moments, but I still found them to be very sad all the same. Once you know the secret that involves Lu, it makes things more emotional really because you feel bad for Lu's dad. While it would have been nice if this had been more of a horror movie, I can't deny that it was still a great film to watch. As always, I will leave up to all of you if you should check out Extinction or not, but I really liked it. If you feel you have the same taste in horror films as I do, then this one would be a good one for you to check out. It is a bit long but still worth the watch. Check it out if you haven't already.
4 out of 5 I would still play with dolls if I had any
