I’ve just returned from seeing Apollo 18 at the theater and I have to say that I really loved it. It was creepy, intense and filled with interesting twists and turns right up until the end. Apollo 18 takes the found footage sub-genre to the moon and explains why Apollo 18 was NASA’s last trip there. Producer Timur Bekmambetov and newcomer director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego managed to create a tense, claustrophobic film with enough atmosphere and surprises to choke an extraterrestrial life form.
(Watch Streebo’s review after the leap!)
The casting in the film was excellent with the characters coming across as extremely real and sympathetic. I’d have to add that I thought the way the characters were textured really made them real for me. By that I mean there is a very conscious decision to make these actors through their tropes, mannerisms and wardrobe appear like they just stepped out of classic astronaut films like Apollo 13 or The Right Stuff. I admired this level of meta-programming that calls on closure from it’s audience to realize that “hey I’ve seen these guys before in The Right Stuff.”
The CGI is used tastefully and mixed with some very painful make-up FX provided by Gary J. Tunnicliffe of FEAST & Project Greenlight 3 fame. The movie runs mostly without a score except for what the astronauts themselves listen to and then several haunting tracks are played over the final credits that give even more weight and poignancy to what proceeded them. If you can stomach the shaky camera work, ugly cinematography and general gimmick of found footage – then go see this nice little space Gothic take on it this weekend.
Streebo gives Apollo 18 an 8 out of 10 on the Streebo Scream-O-Meter. As Joe Bob Briggs would say – CHECK IT OUT! If you don’t like the found footage sub-genre then you might want to avoid it at all costs as the problems of that particular idiom are represented in full force. If you’re looking for a fun date movie make it Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark or if you’re looking to get lucky – perhaps Fright Night will give you and your date the titillation that you need.
See Streebo’s full spoiler free review below:
