X
- 2013
- Not Rated
- Image Entertainment
- 1 h 35 m
- 2013
- Not Rated
- Image Entertainment
- 1 h 35 m
Summary Forced underground by the next ice age, a struggling outpost of survivors must fight to preserve humanity against a threat even more savage than nature.
Directed By: Jeff Renfroe
Written By: Svet Rouskov, Patrick Tarr, Pascal Trottier, Jeff Renfroe
- 2013
- Not Rated
- Image Entertainment
- 1 h 35 m
- 2013
- Not Rated
- Image Entertainment
- 1 h 35 m
The Colony
28
5.3
Where to Watch
Summary Forced underground by the next ice age, a struggling outpost of survivors must fight to preserve humanity against a threat even more savage than nature.
Directed By: Jeff Renfroe
Written By: Svet Rouskov, Patrick Tarr, Pascal Trottier, Jeff Renfroe
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 11 Critic Reviews
28
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
45% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
55% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 11 Critic Reviews
28
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
45% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
55% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
The Colony has modest rewards: It's decently acted, delivers some well-executed jolts, doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence, and is mercifully free of ironic distance.
Notwithstanding the efforts of a game cast, this is a grotesque miscalculation that disrespects the memory of those who perished in one of the darkest episodes in recent history by turning it into a piece of white-knuckle entertainment.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 53 User Ratings
5.3
34% Positive
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
51% Mixed
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
15% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 53 User Ratings
5.3
34% Positive
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
51% Mixed
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
15% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
If you are not too nitpicky about plot holes and some irrational details you should watch it 'cause it's enjoyable and entertaining. Decent acting, survival, adrenaline it's all there. You know, movies don't have to be 100% realistic to be entertaining, that's the point of imagination, it's not real. I'll give it a 10 to raise the raiting a bit but it's objectively 7 or maybe 8.
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Utterly routine futuristic horror-thriller The Colony substitutes the term “ferals” for plain old zombies (the modern, fast-moving kind), and that’s about it for originality.
Can’t somebody come up with a monster that does something more interesting than run at you screaming, “Yeeaaaarrrrgh”?
There are a few nice scares in The Colony, and the female lead, Rookie Blue's Charlotte Sullivan, looks really, really cute in blond dreadlocks. But she can't save the movie, nor can her impressive costars, Bill Paxton, Kevin Zegers, and Laurence Fishburne.
With a frost-bitten script whose skeletal plot cuts and pastes bits from innumerable other survival yarns, the biggest surprise the film offers is that four people were required to write it.
Greedily tries to cram every dystopian curse into one misbegotten plot, resulting in something wildly disjointed, even if its pieces arguably connect.
This movie is hugely underestimated and the critics' score is plain ridiculous. This movie is a rare beast a quality science-fiction survival horror. Yes, a quality one. The cast is impressive and the acting is really good, Laurence Fishburne did well for sure. The movie has some beautiful scenery, and the setting (frozen Earth) and the plot is solid enough. Sure, for science-fiction it has some flaws for example, footprints hold during the night on the snow despite the never-ending blizzard. Or the "certain" tribe is so big it shouldn't be able to survive (taking into account their ration). But... that's about it. I can't recall any other major problem and I saw this movie just yesterday.
Besides, this is the fourth post-apocalyptic movie of 2013 that I have seen. "The Oblivion" was obviously the best, hands down. And this is also the simple fact that "After Earth" was obviously the worst. Taking into account their budgets, I would say "The Colony" is no worse than "World War Z". There is no unnecessary pathos and its characters definitely has more depth and creates more of viewers' willingness to empathize them.
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Good visuals and great acting can't quite elevate this film above it's lackluster writing and predictable plot and characters
It's a great post apocalyptic setting, and the visuals really reinforce that, whether it's how the colonies are shot or the CGI they've used, they all create a brilliantly bleak atmosphere.
The acting, especially from Fishburne, Paxton and Zegers, is very good. Fishburne especially excels. It's just a shame him and Paxton aren't given more screen time. Paxton as well could have done with a lot more chances to build his character, who in the end is let down by lazy and cliché writing
The story is ok but a bit by the numbers. It does feel a bit like like the creators had a great idea for the first half of a film but then couldn't think what to do with the rest of it. they set up a great situation and setting but they don't go anywhere with it and instead fall back to a by the numbers monster movie and the characters are never given enough time to really develop
It isn't a bad film by any means and is quite enjoyable to watch, but its plot and characters mean it will never be a must-see film
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The Colony could have flourished with good visual and cast, but it squanders the potential before it enters the second act. The main issue is how stagnant and predictable the plot progresses, screenplay it uses is the very generic template for sci-fi genre. It barely possesses any unique qualities, and by the time the movie is over, it will be either forgettable or interchangeable with any mediocre films.
Story follows the survivors on Colony 7, led by Briggs (Laurence Fishburne). They have been plagued with the dangerous common cold, in which everyone who even shows symptoms are quarantined, possibly exiled or even killed. They also receive strange message from Colony 5, their neighbor colony and must go to examine whether it's real or not. The overall concept holds some promise, but there are far too many boring narratives and stupid behaviors from the characters to fully realize its prospect.
Script is highly foreseeable, down to the sob stories of the survivors, which to the film's credit, would be salvageable if it actually portrays them instead of having guys talk about it. Characters also perform a few needless monologues that don't help setting the tension, they merely drag the movie by a few minutes. Furthermore, many of the characters' decision are moronic, the film tries to convince audience with stress or fear excuse, and even if that's true, it's still stupid by any stretch. This is the equivalent of seeing someone decide to split up in horror flick.
Visual is pretty exceptional, it has good sharp contour and vibrant color. However, most of it are used in ordinary hallway full of pipes or barren wastelands, the most notably landmark is broken bridge which could very well be featured in half dozen other sci-fi films. The actors aren't that bad either, it's just the material is too thin and lacking any suspense for them to capitalize on.
The Colony might have bits that could've worked, but with too predictable execution and uninspiring plot, a visit isn't exactly recommended.
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Let me start by saying the movie is a complete waste of time, you’ve seen this before. Forget about the Weather towers and the barren Earth, this is like The Hills Have Eyes but in a dystopian future. The characters are one dimensional, and the whole past of a particular character (narrated on a moment obviously done to try and get us to know better the characters) was a complete waste of time and without relevance to the plot. The pace at the beginning was slow, one Colony went to find out what happened to another until they find a shocking reality: “cannibals”. That’s it, you have seen that in other movies. It isn’t original and the whole plot with the Earth and the Antennas was forgotten entirely for chases and fights. I only gave it something because the scenery was good, particularly those antennas (or whatever they were), and because I liked the idea that they completely ignored. Pass this one out, please!
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Production Company
Alcina Pictures,
Item 7,
Mad Samurai Productions,
120dB Films,
Sierra / Affinity,
RLJ Entertainment
Release Date Sep 20, 2013
Duration 1 h 35 m
Rating Not Rated
Tagline When the world changes the rules of survival change with it
Awards
Canadian Screen Awards, CA
• 2 Nominations
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Canadian Cinema Editors Awards
• 1 Nomination
