AE: APOCALYPSE EARTH

2013 / Director. Thunder Levin.
Review by Glenn Cochrane.

AE APOCALYPSE EARTH is one of The Asylum's better movies. Being part of their mockbuster stable, it takes its cues from films like AFTER EARTH, OBLIVION and PLANET OF THE APES. Earth is under attack by aliens and fleets of rescue spaceships set out on a trajectory towards a new planet. One ship crashes onto a distant world and the humans find themselves hunted by an alien race, which they name Chameleons. It is more or less a classic B-movie affair with stodgey SFX and an imitative premise. True to The Asylum's creed, there is nothing original about APOCALYPSE EARTH and yet it is easily amongst their best work. I found it completely watchable and never struggled with it. The narrative moves along at a cracking pace and the action holds up strong. Adrian Paul has never looked more like an action star than he does in this movie. He pretty much owns the movie as he commands the group of marauders through the dense jungles of this unknown world. Richard Grieco co-stars in his second Asylum outing (he was also in ALMIGHTY THOR) and all that can be said about his performance is "what's with the hair?"... isn't that a question that's haunted him is entire career? You can never expect greatness from The Asylum but you are usually guaranteed a schlocky good time. APOCALYPSE EARTH delivers in spades and makes for great Sunday afternoon amusement. 

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