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I saw 'The Fourth Kind' so you don't have to

[20 Comment(s)]

By Jonathan Specht

Rating: D+

Some terrible movies are so bad they're good. The Fourth Kind is not one of these films. Starring Milla Jovovich (of Resident Evil fame) as Dr. Abbey Tyler, the film tells the tale of a psychologist in Nome, Alaska doing a study of unusual problems among the town's people. Many residents claim that they wake up every night around 3:00 A.M. to see an owl staring at them. As the study progresses, bad things happen to Dr. Tyler's patients. One kills his wife and another becomes paralyzed from the neck down.

The town's jerk of a Sheriff, August (Will Patton) blames Dr. Tyler's study for these odd occurrences (which is about as logical as blaming meteorologists for the weather). Dr. Tyler, however, suspects something else is behind the odd events: aliens.

The Fourth Kind has the elements of a good film. The story concept is interesting, and the acting is mostly solid. The movie, however, is absolutely ruined by its cinematography. The Fourth Kind claims to be based on a true story. That in itself isn't a problem. What is unacceptable is the way it mixes in supposedly real footage.

In one particularly annoying technique, the film juxtaposes "real" footage with the main actors re-enacting the same scene at the same time. What could have possibly convinced director Olatunde Osunsanmi that this was a good idea?

The film also doesn't flesh out possibly interesting elements of the alleged aliens of Nome. One example is the appearance on audio tapes of an inhuman voice speaking in Sumerian (never mind the difficulty of figuring out that random sounds are actually words in a dead language). As Erich von Daniken pointed out in his fascinating 1968 book Chariots of the Gods, there are many examples in ancient (including Sumerian) artwork of depictions of things that look like spacecraft.

The film never explains the connection between the Sumerian language and the alleged alien visitors. Did aliens give the Sumerians their language thousands of years ago? Or did Sumerians join the aliens in space and give them their language? We are left to speculate, and be annoyed.

Without the awful directing, this movie would still be a lacking. But it would at least be a C+ or better. Thanks to its cinematography, under no circumstances can I recommend The Fourth Kind.

Originally Published: Issue 823 - November 11, 2009

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Comments

  1. my point of view it was a gr8 film, with brilliant camera affects... the story was gr8 n watching it with the real footage and the acters gave it affect of wanting to see more, it reminds u its real and has happend, where in another film based on true events with out real footage it makes u wonder what part of the film really happend n makes it harder to believe, in the film the forth kind it shows you, aswell as to the reaction notice the acters have more emotions and over act where in the real footage its scearyer because its real fear u r seeing on screen

    tricia | 2009-11-11 - 05:42:05 PM (CDT)

  2. I am not sure why all of the critics are so hard on this film. I thought it was a well done film. I give it at least a B+
    David Ekman

    DJ EK | 2009-11-11 - 07:06:19 PM (CDT)

  3. Just came back from the film...I have to agree with the author on this about the piss poor cinemotography, adding in the real life video/audio while attempting to make the film appear more \"true to life\" killed the movie..left me confuse...and I certainly couldn\’t wait for it to be over...

    Asil Enna | 2009-11-11 - 07:11:03 PM (CDT)

  4. I just saw the movie and loved it. I had to get online to see if it was actually all real or made up. It scared me and I jumped at the cinema. I give it a full A- Very entertaining.

    Sue | 2009-11-11 - 07:13:34 PM (CDT)

  5. I have never posted anything till now, my first. thats how bad this movie is, didnt do enough research on ufos, the movie is all mixed up, demonic, ufo , and on and on, watch the movie again carefully.if you like this movie, I feel sorry for you, and you will eat any thing with no taste. im a 35 year researcher on ufology, this guy ripped you off on the truth for money. for get the truth get the movie out before the holidays .he should of hired me as a ufo advisor , it would be a fantastic movie

    David | 2009-11-11 - 08:07:48 PM (CDT)

  6. First off, I would like to point out to any of the readers that this movie was excellent, and definitely a must see. At the author.. The movie isn’t ment to ANSWER your questions, it is ment to arouse your curiosity and encourage you to think.
    As a Film Study student, I would give this film an B+. The Cinematography was done relatively well, the unstable camera movements are to provoke anxiousness/suspense, and it is not MEANT to be clear.
    This film is based on a true subject that has a lack of explained support, they do not explain why the Aliens speak Sumerian because we ourselves do not know.
    This is a nonfiction film, and for you to expect a movie that has to do with Aliens that’s based on a true story to tie up all the lose ends when the film comes to an end than you’re demented.
    Films that make you think are films that are successful because after the film is over you’re still debating and talking about it...

    Bottom Line: This movie is worth your money!

    Thomas | 2009-11-11 - 12:53:16 AM (CDT)

  7. This is not a nonfiction film, it’s set up in the same way that Blair Witch Project was except that they used fairly well known actors like Milla Jovovich. It’s "based on a true story" in the same way the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was based on Ed Gein, who was not in a fact a preternaturally strong inbred cannibal from a family of preternaturally strong inbred cannibals.

    Sheepbucket | 2009-11-12 - 02:32:15 AM (CDT)

  8. this film is not worth the money, low dollar movie, what are they teaching people in college, teachers who do not know how to teach the film arts. the person who did the fourth kind, should get a job at the 7/11 store, film industry is not his bag.

    vinni | 2009-11-12 - 04:04:38 AM (CDT)

  9. this movie is terrible. end point.

    MsYang | 2009-11-12 - 06:44:14 AM (CDT)

  10. I loved this movie. It sounds like you’re just one of those people who needs everything explained piece by piece to you. I thought it was good that they left some things open. After all, if they truly don’t have an answer as to why or how they spoke Sumerian, did you want them to make something up?

    Alley | 2009-11-12 - 05:18:07 PM (CDT)

  11. They "truly don’t have an answer" because the film is bullshit! It’s definitely not "Based on a true story". That’s just a gimmick.

    The movie sucked | 2009-11-12 - 08:41:58 PM (CDT)

  12. Anybody who thinks the “actual footage” they claim to show in this film is real is a fool. If this footage was real it would have come out before now, it would not have needed a Hollywood director to find it. Also if you actually researched the real town of Nome you will see it looks nothing like the footage that is used in the film. Nome is flat with no mountains or huge trees like you see in the movie so how come big trees and mountains can clearly be seen in the “actual footage”? Because it’s fake and was actually filmed in Bulgaria and not Alaska! This film is using the same tactics as the Blair Witch used to pull an audience.

    bob | 2009-11-13 - 12:28:09 PM (CDT)

  13. any body thinks this film was good, has no knowledge of what a good movie is, they work for the film makers to protect the film . any body in there right mind would know this . for get that answering my question film. I know more about the para- normal than the cheap movie makers that do not do their research, just rich people with money , know nothing about movie making, bean counters, us ufo researchers know this film is misleading people , this is a shame , only if you knew the truth, to bad for the fourth kind which did not a lick of common (cents) get it

    sumerian | 2009-11-13 - 08:05:46 PM (CDT)

  14. i thought it was good.everybody is a critic.all it did was open up your mind to a different perspective on life.people are so one sided,you can’t see past your own ignorance, and even wonder for a split second that maybe everything you grew up to believe may or may not be true.

    dreamer | 2009-11-14 - 03:57:10 AM (CDT)

  15. I thought the movie was really good. The way they mixed up the two films, I thought, would suck but it was brilliant and made the movie more frightening. I left the movie with goosebumps so I would give it a A. Yes, the beggining was slow but it was non-stop action from then on. Everyone says Paranormal activity was good, but that movie sucked. This movie trumps that anyday. So what if they said it was "based on a true story" or what not, what does that have anything to do with it being good or not?
    I left the theaters satisfied and happy

    Nome | 2009-11-14 - 08:24:59 PM (CDT)

  16. C+

    me | 2009-11-15 - 08:39:16 PM (CDT)

  17. this movie i thought was pure insanity iv read numerous reviews and im seizing to understand why all this negitivity arises. it was a very good movie had me scared to wake up at 3:33AM. lol...go see it HAVE AN OPEN MIND.

    Lola | 2009-11-17 - 11:34:08 AM (CDT)

  18. the movie is terrible, dreamer keep dreaming, youre still in the crib, you have much to learn my child, rookie movie maker verses 35 year researcher. rookie movie maker down for the count. rookie movie maker = people love this movie.

    repeat | 2009-11-21 - 10:00:58 PM (CDT)

  19. this movie was thrown together, there is no open minded involved with this movie. you dont have to think while watching it . this movie is on drugs, as movie lovers.

    efu | 2009-11-21 - 10:09:18 PM (CDT)

  20. it was alright not a must see movie though! In the actual footage you don’t see much of anything cause it gets all screwed up! The Dr herself needs her own shrink look at her! She’s a mess looks like she hasn’t slept in days! For people who claimed this movie to be scary are you serious? There is NOTHING about this movie that scares me and I’m VERY open minded! I will probably never watch this movie ever again. It’s a bunch of endless bs nothing they state at the beginning ever shows in the movie so it makes me wonder wtf they are talking about. Her son obviously knows she is insane if the parts of her son are even true he believes his mother has "issues". They tried to show that an alien was in her room but she doesn’t go off acting psychotic like the others when she is hypnotized, come on now. This movie was a complete failure and absolute nonsense, a waste of time and a waste of money.

    Jen | 2010-01-17 - 07:23:42 PM (CDT)
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