Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

A swarm of bio-engineered locusts escape from a research centre in Bulgaria - sorry, I mean Idaho - and have a taste not for crops but for flesh! I expected this to be yet another bad Sci Fi creature feature and while this is hardly a good film I certainly would not call it terrible either, hence my 5/10. Acting wise the leads - Dan Cortese, Jeff Fahey & Julie Benz - do a good enough job. Some of the minor roles were played by Europeans & this does show. Lots of cheap CGI here including helicopters (I've seen more realistic ones on video games). Plenty of gaffs too - many of the vehicles are obviously European; there's a scene where our hero is driving along a dirt track but when the camera is inside his vehicle it's obvious that it was filmed on a proper road, buildings & other vehicles are visible. What I do like about this film is that it's not played with tongue in cheek, nor is it unintentionally fun. It's actually played straight & when the locust descend on human victims it is done efectively to scare.

I could have written all this off as just a mediocre low budget flick, passably entertaining if expectations are kept under control.Others have amply covered the many defects in plot holes, lousy special effects, uninspired acting, etc.However the movie went beyond all this into a pathetic attempt to turn itself into a morality play. The demons of the Greenies were summoned forth: Evil corporations. Greedy executives. Genetic manipulation. Pollution. Arrogant military. There is even a special lecture on global warming inserted lest we miss the point. (They did blessedly overlook **rrrradiation** (sound klaxon) and skipped the talking points on the blessings of tofu cakes.)And of course standing against this onslaught of evil we have Mr. Organic Pesticide Researcher, a wholesome, idealistic young man trying only to save the world for Green. And his side kick, a low level USDA employee who in one of the truly hilarious moments in the film, is given the crucial decision as to whether to approve the use of a special military unit to prevent the locusts from wiping out half of Idaho. Only if she 'signs off' can the special unit be used! Incredibly, this is a fulcrum in plot development. It's like asking someone at the airline ticket counter whether flights should be grounded on 9-11.Oh well. If you are desperate for science fiction material and have burned your way through just about everything else, this one at least has an unusual creature villain. Other than that, there are better ways to waste time than this phony Green Morality play from the Truly Clueless.

I don't want to write a spoiler so I'll just say this. There are many "holes" in the story. Bad story, bad plot, bad graphics, bad acting. Most of the dialogue is laughable and pretty much and insult to the intelligence of a nine year old. Most of the lines try to use twenty dollar scientific words, but most are not used effectively. Some parts are so bad you almost laugh even though you want to cry. The movie's solution to the nemesis is fairly lame. If you watch the entire movie, your scalp will be hurting from scratching your noggin and asking "why" did I watch this movie? Do yourself a favor and push the button the remote until you find something else worthwhile to watch.

The Sci-Fi Channel has once again cranked out another "made for TV" movie in their tired formula of species versus human engagements. As the film title indicates, the locusts have the honor of being man's nemesis this time.A good director, cast, crew, writer, et al could have made this a passable piece of entertainment, but alas not in this case. The writing is predictable. The editing and photography are generic. The special effects are far, far from special. These scenes are particularly disappointing for a science fiction movie. While acceptable for a student film or a sci-fi spoof, they lack believability and appear to indicate a project with a meager budget.David Keith does a good job as Gary Wolf, the corporate head. He has become a staple of The Sci-Fi Channel's flicks. Among this swarm of bad acting, he is a welcome relief, but has a limited amount of screen time.Dan Cortese is very disappointing as Colt, the organic researcher and "good guy." His performance was stilted and uninspiring.However, this is not unique in this film that lacks originality and recycles old themes. The evil cooperation versus the little guy. The government drone versus the civilian. The testosterone toxic military type versus the rebel. The industry versus the environmentalist. The geneticists verses the organic farmers. ... The banal list continues culminating in the human versus species of the week theme that is reflected in the title.If you have a free moment with nothing to do and are bored out of your mind, consider this as a possible option.